Hammurabi

Last Friday, Austin and I were discussing early mathematics. We learned that mathematics evolved into Algebra by around 2000 BCE. This occurred in two different parts of the world: Egypt and Babylonia (Middle East).

The Egyptians wrote on papyrus scrolls and the Babylonians wrote on clay tablets. The Egyptians wrote many math problems on one scroll, and the Babylonians solved only a single problem on one clay tablet.

The Egyptian Rhind Papyrus contains material from about 1800 BCE. It measures 18 feet long and one foot wide. Eighty-four problems are solved on the Rhind Papyrus. I remarked that they must have pressed the papyrus leaves together to form paper, to be able to get a scroll that's 18 feet long. I was amazed. Austin remarked, "What else would you expect, Mom? These are the Egyptians we're talking about. Can you explain the pyramids?"

indoor rock climbing

I took Austin and Keon Ho to the Coquitlam Cliffhanger indoor climbing gym this afternoon so that they could try climbing while I belayed them. They arrived full of enthusiasm and had their sights set on topping all the walls in the first 5 minutes. However, I suggested that they start on the beginner's wall and see how things went.

The first wall is about as steep as a ladder and rises to the top of the 45 foot climbing structure. The hand and foot holds are nice large letters and numbers. Easy for kids to figure out and easy for parents to shout instructions. The whole idea of this wall is to get the kids comfortable with the gear, comfortable coming down and comfortable with being several times their height off the ground.

Both the boys did fairly well on the beginner's wall reaching about 25 feet off the ground before getting too nervous. I've found that it's often good to go try something harder for a bit then come back to the easy stuff. We spent the next hour trying out several other walls that were lower (35 feet) but were more vertical. Keon Ho was the first to get to the top with Austin managing it on his next try (competition can be a great motivator). After that they went back to all the previous walls and topped them with ease (including the first one which they practically ran up).

Once they were more comfortable with the basics of climbing I introduced the rating system for the climbs and we started to focus on not just getting to the tops, but getting there following the routes that the gym had set. This makes things a bit more interesting as now it's not just a physical and psychological challenge but it's also a mental one.

The routes are set in increasing levels of difficulty with each level requiring the climber to plan his moves more strategically and improve his technique. Starting with a very basic route that has the score of 5.6, the climber has access to many large comfortable hand and foot holds and climbs a steep but not vertical gradient. Stepping up to 5.7 or 5.8 (the most difficult climb they attempted) the foot and hand holds become smaller and more sparse and the incline goes vertical. It's important on these more difficult climbs to think several moves ahead or you'll find that you can't reach the next hold.

Austin and Keon Ho spent most of their time trying 5.7's and managed to finish several of them. They learned how to use a resting position to take breaks part way up (rather than trying to sprint to the top) and they started to learn how to move more efficiently by doing the climbing with their legs and trying to keep their arms straight to reduce muscle fatigue.

In the end they were very happy with their exploits and want to go back again. The staff at the gym commented several times how impressed they were with how long the boys were climbing - over 3 hours! Sounds like we'll have to go back and do that again :)

-sc

Evolution

This afternoon, Austin was bored, so I suggested he watch an educational video. He countered that he's already watched all the educational DVDs we have, and he can't think of anything on the internet.

While I'm sure there's a wealth of educational shorts on the internet, I was too occupied with my work to spend time surfing with Austin, potentially hitting a few duds. So, I dug out another video from the HHMI (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) series we ordered a few months ago. We received more than a dozen videos for free, from a US-based educational institution!! Austin observed that the DVD was still encased in plastic, so this would be the first time we've seen it.

Skye and I have already watched a very engaging, entertaining and thought-provoking video on the genetics of obesity, but we hadn't watched any others.

Since Austin is a theorist, and has always found evolution fascinating, I chose the first Evolution video for today. We watched the video called Fossils, Genes, and Mousetraps, facilitated by Ken Miller, a biologist and award-winning educator.

Ken Miller is a Professor of Biology at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island (which happens to be the setting of the next Hamish X book - we're now about 8 chapters into the second of a trilogy by Canadian comedian and author, Sean Cullen).

I had invited Keon Ho to join us for the video. He hesitated, when I told him it is an educational video, but he came down to give it a try, anyway. About 15 minutes into the programming, Keon Ho asked how long it would be (after yawning a few times). I told him it would be about an hour, he stayed for another 5 minutes, then retreated back to his book (Dragonology). Keon Ho is more interested in Geography than Biology, and I'm sure it's challenging to follow a lecturer in English, when one is new to the language.

Ken Miller was lecturing to high school students about the theory of evolution. He's a very engaging speaker, and he launched right in to the fact that the study of evolution is a controversial subject, particularly in the southern United States. Austin is always drawn in to a good debate and was amazed to conclude that whichever interest group holds power at the School Board level, determines what will be taught in schools. Ken Miller explained that the defining groups have historically been the pro-evolution and anti-evolution (or Creationism) groups.

He played a clip from a short interview with him on The Colbert Report January 12, 2006. The clip was his 30-second definition of "Evolution." I invite you to watch this 6-minute interview - quite entertaining.

The lecture went on to describe what we learn from fossils, and examples of evolution that are taking place right now, in our midst and before our eyes. Ken Miller is a huge fan of Darwin's Origin of Species, and feels this is a book that everyone should read. It's foundational, in my opinion. We have a biography of Charles Darwin, we have taken The Origin of Species out of the library once (but didn't get through the whole book), and I have been drawn, recently, to a couple of children's adaptations of Darwin's theories.

As gripped as I was, by what I was hearing, I had to return to my office after watching for about 1/2 an hour. Austin stayed for another hour, to watch the full 90-minute program.

I asked him what he thought of it, and he said it was pretty good. He was interested in the coverage of Basilosaurus (a sea-dwelling mammal with tiny vestigial/degenerate hind limbs, that was once thought to be a prehistoric marine reptile), considered to be an ancestor to modern-day cetaceans.

O Canada!

Austin is teaching Keonho how to sing O Canada, at Keonho's request.

They are practicing, line by line, and Austin is using the internet to show the lyrics as they sing along.

I had told Austin yesterday, that I heard in the news that many Canadian high school students don't know the words to O Canada! Austin wants to be sure to know them by heart.

Drawing with Keonho

On Saturday, I overheard Austin saying to Keonho, "Hey Keonho, would you like to write a story with me?" I could hardly believe my ears!

Austin was inspired to write and illustrate a story about Bionicle characters. He was also inspired to earn stickers towards pieces of a new Bionicle set used as an incentive for typing ;)

Anyway, Austin and Keonho sat down together, at the dining room table, and began to draw. Keonho is particularly good with human faces. Austin drew a mountain landscape and an intricate Bionicle (I think it is Gresh). Austin had ideas for a story, but after about 30 minutes, he was losing interest. He was going to dictate a story to Keonho, and Keonho was prepared with his pencil and notebook, but the story hasn't come to be, yet.

Hopefully, Austin will be inspired again, and we'll all get to hear the story one day.

Beaty Biodiversity Museum

The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is opening at UBC this Saturday, May 22. They have a blue whale skeleton on exhibit. We are all looking forward to going, but we may not go to the opening day. Hopefully, we can go on May 29. It's free for the first five shows!

A Lesson in Population Density

On yesterday's drive to music lessons, Austin and Keonho were talking about the 2010 winter Olympics. Keonho asked if we went to any events, or if we watched any programming on TV. Austin told Keonho what he had watched, and Keonho particularly remembered the South Korean figure skater who won Gold.

Austin talked about Joannie Rochette, and Keonho recalled that she had lost her mother. Austin said, "Yes, only days before she had to perform in front of the world." Austin was clearly impacted by Joannie Rochette's story.He's quite sensitive to what she went through, and what she was able to overcome. He is so proud of her for winning a bronze medal.

Austin talked about Canada's gold medals, and how we broke an Olympic record for the number of gold medals won. Keonho remarked that it's understandable that Canada would be able to win so many gold medals, because there must be so many more Canadians than Koreans, since Canada is such a bigger country.

Then, the conversation really got interesting. I responded that, actually, Korea's population is higher than Canada's. Keonho was perplexed ... how could that be? Canada must be at least 50 times as big as South Korea! So I passed my iPhone to Austin and asked him to google "South Korea population," and he said, 48,607,000. Then, he looked up the population of Canada, which is 33,311,400.

Out of interest, later last night, I looked up the area of South Korea, and found it is 98,799 sq km. Canada's area is 9,093,507 sq km. So, 92 South Koreas could fit into Canada!

Then, I worked out how many people, on average, live in one square kilometre of each country. In South Korea, it is 492, and in Canada it is under 4! So, I told Austin and Keonho what I had learned, and as Skye suggested, I used Panorama Park as a suggestion of an area of land which is about 500 sq m, and compared South Korea (246) to Canada (2). It was really remarkable to imagine such a difference in population density between the countries.