American ‘mathemagician’ Dr Arthur Benjamin is visiting Africa for the first time to talk at Scifest Africa 2010, which begins in Grahamstown tomorrow.
American ‘mathemagician’ Dr Arthur Benjamin is visiting Africa for the first time to talk at Scifest Africa 2010, which begins in Grahamstown tomorrow.
“I’m hoping that people will look at maths and numbers a little differently after my presentation [at Scifest],” said the Harvey Mudd College Professor of Mathematics. My goal is “not for people to see how smart I am, but how smart they can be.”
Margaret Wolff, Scifest Africa manager, said that you can expect to see Benjamin “multiply numbers faster than a calculator and tell you how to figure out the day of the week for any date in history.”
“Arthur is one of the highlights in our 2010 programme,” she said.
As a child, Benjamin said he enjoyed seeing how many different ways there were to solve a problem. “I was amazed that you would always get the same answer,” he said. “I found that consistency of arithmetic to be absolutely beautiful, and I still do today.”
“Most people assume that I ‘see’ the numbers in my head, as if I have some enormous chalkboard that I’m using. But in fact, I am ‘hearing’ the numbers,” said Benjamin about the way he manages to square five digit numbers in his head. “I calculate the problem from left to right, which allows me to start saying my answer, while I’m still calculating,” he said.
“I had a very theatrical family,” said Benjamin who used to perform at children’s parties when he was a teenager. “I learned magic through books and by purchasing equipment at a local magic shop.”
“When I started doing shows for older audiences, I mixed in some of my mathematical skills, and that got all kinds of attention,” said Benjamin who reads books and solves puzzles to get his daily brain exercise.
Benjamin will also present a teachers workshop with Marc Schafer from Rhodes University’s Education Department from 3-5pm on Tuesday 23 March. More details will soon be available.
You can catch Benjamin on 24, 25 and 26 March. Download your programme from www.scifest.org.za and call 046 603 1106 to book your tickets.
Scifest Africa is sponsored by Sasol Ltd, Old Mutual South Africa in association with the Department of Science and Technology, SAASTA and the Grahamstown Foundation.
