Here are this weekend's reading selections. Is Friday the 13th really unlucky? Are we really going to get rid of the handshake?
You decide.
Friday the 13th: "The Most Widespread Superstition"
November-12-09, 8:22 PM
Friday the 13th is considered unlucky in a number of cultures, including English, Portuguese, and German. Some people develop a phobia associated with Friday the 13th (paraskavedekatriaphobia). These people may be so paralyzed with fear that they are unable to get out of bed on that day. Where did the notion that Friday and/or the number 13 are unlucky come from?
November-08-09, 8:33 PM
It occurs to me that I might have found the secret formula for getting kids to read. While the media and teachers complain that kids don't read anymore, I can't get my kids to stop. Even Lucia, who is too young to read, is a voracious reader. I jokingly yell at Eve (age 12), "How many times do I have to tell you to STOP reading!" She would read while walking and eating if we would let her. And not only is Maya (age 27) a published romance novelist, but she's about to get her master's degree in literary history, and has read the works of Proust...all of them.
So what's the secret?
Benefits of Solving Math Puzzles
November-10-09, 11:26 AM
Overview | Why do people like to solve puzzles? How are they good learning tools? In this lesson, students try to solve math puzzles and explain the strategies used to come to the solutions. Students will hone their problem solving skills and their ability to explain their process. They will come away with a broader view of "math" and see its recreational capacity.
Your Health | Waving goodbye to the handshake
November-11-09, 9:29 AM
It's a gesture of greeting and civility, in a country that prides itself on being polite. So what's so horrible about the common handshake?
Plenty, according to Dr. Tom Feasby. He's the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary, so his opinion carries weight.
