Is That a Big Number is now a book, published by Oxford University Press. (Google ISBN 0198821220 to find many online booksellers). Although there is serious purpose behind the book - to explore how we think about numbers and how we can understand big numbers - it’s written in a light and engaging style.
Entertaining, full of practical examples, and memorable concepts, Is That A Big Number? renews our relationship with numeracy. If numbers are the musical notes with which the symphony of the universe is written, and you’re struggling to hear the tune, then this is the book to get you humming again.
The Greek Theatre in the Sicilian town of Taormina could, so they say, accommodate 5000 theatre-goers. Could this be true? Let’s do some rough and ready calculations …
http://www.andrewcaelliott.com/explorations/2016/11/13/a-trip-to-the-theatre
This thought-provoking blog post accurately describes one of the most important reasons for mathematical (and other) education: for the habits of thought and not always only for the content.
Numeracy, and a numerate approach to understanding the world, becomes a habit also. Keep asking: “is that a big number?”
https://medium.com/@jeremyjkun/habits-of-highly-mathematical-people-b719df12d15e#.njlr8pyp5
The Empire State Building brings to mind that iconic image of King Kong atop the skyscraper, swatting away biplanes as he clutches Fay Wray in his massive hand. But how massive? How big would the 1933 movie version of Kong have been, and how much would he have weighed … ?
http://www.andrewcaelliott.com/explorations/2016/10/27/how-much-did-king-kong-weigh
How many tennis balls does it take to fill St Paul’s?