As you start thinking about careers to pursue, be amazed and surprised at how many professions use mathematical skills. These five resources can offer insights into how central maths is in a variety of careers.
Developed by TEDTalk Speaker: Rajiv Maheswaran.
Did you know professional athletes, like basketball players, use maths all the time to help them improve their performance? It might surprise you, but a deeper analysis of statistics helps Rajiv Maheswaran and his team to investigate movement within basketball games to improve performance. If your teen is keen on sport, they may also find “the science of moving dots” fascinating.
Developed by Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI)
Your teen might be surprised to learn that maths plays a critical role in the design and building of guitars and many other instruments. This video might help your teen with a passion for music see that many creative professions are not only underpinned by maths, they simply would not exist without it.
Developed by The University of Surrey UK
What do guitars, pianos, singers, sound engineers and other musicians all have in common? Apart from their skills in making music, they are all using maths to help them produce sound. This video explains how maths is involved in the production of sound so if you live with a budding musician, definitely get them to tune into this video to explore maths in unexpected places.
Developed by AMSI Speaker: Karlie Noon.
This is the inspiring story of Karlie Noon, the first Indigenous Australian in New South Wales to complete a double degree in maths and physics. She is currently researching for a Master’s in the field of Astrophysics. Her story reveals how as a mathematician, perseverance and curiosity are everything.
Written and illustrated by Steve Richards.
Help your child relax and investigate mathematical ideas at the same time. This colouring-in book explores the ‘The Golden Ratio’ and other mathematical patterns that can be found in nature, art and architecture. The intersection of maths and art is also depicted through fractals, mandalas and tiles, all while colouring in.
