Running Head: THE GREAT MATH MYSTERY 1

The Great Math Mystery Census Assignment

Ocean County College

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Math and The Universe

Mathematics is the language of the universe. Embedded in all that we know, math

inherits the very make up of the universe. In the video, ​The Great Math Mystery ​shown on the

show NOVA aired on PBS, numbers are depicted to be involved in all that we see, especially in

nature. A number sequence called the Fibonacci sequence is described in the video to be a set of

numbers equaled to the sum of the two previous numbers. For example 1+1=2 and 1+2=3 so the

sequence begins 1,1,2,3 and so on. I found this vastly interesting because they connected the

sequence to the way nature is constructed. The video explained how the Fibonacci sequence is

found in flowers and the makeup of the color of the water.

Max Tegmark’s perspective on mathematic interested me the most. It is explained that he

does not believe mathematics just describe reality but is the very essence of reality. This

perspective was backed up by the history of Pythagoras and the relationship between music and

mathematics. Mathematicians in Greek history discovered through mathematics what three

relationships between music notes were most pleasing. This became known as an octave, a fifth,

and a fourth. This was riveting for me to learn because I often play the piano and guitar but I

never knew how deep the relationship truly was between mathematics and music. Music is a

large part of my life whether I’m playing it, singing it, or experiencing it.

I have always been intrigued by astronomy and the study of the stars so learning about

the way Newton discovered how the great comet traveled around the sun was fascinating.

Newton discovered that the same force that brings cannonballs back down to earth. While

researching the ideas and concepts of gravity, he discovered that the movement of the comet

around the sun was due to gravity. Although I will not be memorizing the equations the video
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provided, knowing that some single mathematical equations and sequences that give

explanations for how the universe functions.