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New Show Displays the Awesome Power of Math
By Bob Brown
August 4, 2016
Boulder, CO — Gregg Tobo sits in a coffee house in Boulder; he’s talking about Pokémon Go. But as a self-professed “recreational mathematician” he’s interested in the numerical side of the popular game. “Pokémon Go has been phenomenally successful, but mathematics allows us to cut through the specific details and to predict when Pokémon Go’s growth will begin to slow and ultimately fade.”
“The life-cycle of fads, from Pokémon Go to the Hula Hoop, can be represented mathematically and tend to follow the same S-shaped curve: a modest beginning, followed by explosive growth, and then a gradual tapering of demand,” says Tobo. Barring a significant update to rejuvenate the game, Pokémon Go is mathematically destined to fade like so many other toys and novelties.
“A well-run company will have a mathematician on board to watch for that inflection point in the data that indicates we are nearing the end. That’s when the developers need to surprise us with a literal game-changer to revive our interest and draw more people into the game.”
As Tobo talks his world becomes clear. A world in which math is us used for more than calculating the proper amount to tip, a world in which math is embedded everywhere – hidden just beneath the surface.
In order to share his world view – one in which math is cool -- he has created a theatrical performance called, “A Mathematician at Play,” which opens at the Boulder International Fringe Festival on August 19. He calls it a show for people who fear math as well as for people who love math.
In the show Tobo performs feat of lightning calculation, multiplying numbers in his head faster than you can operate your calculator. He introduces math concepts with off-beat and humorous stories, and he startles audiences with the beauty, power, and simplicity of math.
Last year, on March 14 (Pi Day), Tobo stood before a panel of judges and recited 1,149 digits of Pi from memory alone. On stage, beneath the hot lights, in front of a curiously intense audience, he began calling out digits of the iconic number, “3.141592653….”
Pi is an irrational and transcendental number which means that the digits of Pi go on forever, never ending, never repeating, and never following any pattern.
When he stepped off the stage, after reciting Pi for 78 minutes without a break, he ranked 89th in the world for Pi memorization.
What was the point of his demonstration? “I wanted to tackle numbers -- a subject that causes anxiety for many people -- and show that it could be conquered,” says Tobo.
Despite his triumph, Tobo’s relationship with numbers has not always been so congenial. When he first entered college he wanted to be an engineer and immersed himself in math. But after three years, in a sudden change of course, he decided to forsake math and pursue theater instead.
“I had gotten bogged down in the mechanics of math,” says Tobo, “Too often math education focuses on the boring bits and neglects the really amazing and creative parts. It’s like studying the English language and learning only spelling and grammar while ignoring Shakespeare and Faulkner.”
“It wasn’t until years later that a friend reintroduced me to math and how awesome mathematics can be,” admits Tobo.
So, after years of creating for the theater and performing on stage, he decided to explore mathematics as a performance, combining his rekindled passion for numbers with his experience as a performer.
In his new show, Tobo refers to himself as a recreational mathematician. It means that he engages with numbers simply for the fun of it. You can see the excitement in his face with a complex problem is made clear by applying mathematics.
In his show he tells the story of math starting with the Babylonians (who developed a remarkably powerful set of math tools nearly 4 thousand years ago), he explores paradoxes in probability while trying to match socks, and he demonstrates a mathematical loophole that gets you free beer.
What led him to create a theatrical performance about math? “I’d like to be an ambassador for mathematics,” says Tobo, “I want people to have fun with math and to reduce the fear and uncertainty that people have about numbers.”
IF YOU GO:
The show, “A Mathematician at Play,” is a part of the Boulder International Fringe Festival
Recommendations: Appropriate for teens and adults
Dates & Times:
Friday, August 19, at 8:00PM
Saturday, August 20, at 6:30PM
Sunday, August 21, at 6:30PM
Tuesday, August 23, at 6:30PM
Thursday, August 25, at 8:00PM
Friday, August 26, at 6:30PM
Running time: 55-minutes
Location: Free Motion Dance Studio, 2126 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 80302
Tickets are $12 General/$10 Student & Senior
To purchase tickets visit: www.boulderfringe.com
If you see someone wearing a Bonfils Blood Center T-shirt at the Louisville Rec Center, there’s a good chance it’s Virgil Olson doing his daily workout. At 83, Virgil has no plans to cut back on the frequency of his workouts or his blood donations. He became only the 9th Bonfils blood donor to reach the 70-gallon mark Thursday, June 16 at Bonfils’ Boulder Community Donor Center.
Only one other Bonfils donor is expected to reach this milestone in 2016.
A platelet donor, Virgil is able to donate as often as 24 times per year compared to six times per year for a whole blood donor. Platelets are essential for blood clotting and are routinely needed to support cancer therapy, open-heart surgery, blood disorders and organ transplants.
Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood and whether a donor is making their 560th donation or their first, every donation of every blood type has the potential to help up to three patients in need.
Bonfils operates seven community donor centers and up to 10 blood drives daily all around Colorado. To make an appointment call the Bonfils Appointment Center at 303.363.2300 or 800.365.0006 option 2 or visit bonfils.org.
