Stories by Math Dude Jason Marshall

How can you measure time without using a stopwatch? You could use the movement of the Sun across the sky, watch a pendulum swing, or burn some very special string. Keep on reading to find out how it works!

What causes the Moon to change phases throughout the month? Why is it sometimes visible only during the day and other times only at night? What’s the relationship between these times and the Moon’s phases? The answer in all cases is geometry.

What’s the point of learning math? Why is it so important that kids are exposed to mathematical thinking? And what do parents and teachers need to know about learning real math? Keep on reading to find out.

How do they work? And how can you turn them into improper fractions? Keep on reading to find out!

How do you quickly calculate 25 percent of a number? Or 33 percent of a number? And how can you quickly calculate percentage increases?

What does it really mean for a satellite to orbit the Earth? What’s the math behind it? And what’s the math behind the rockets that get those satellites into orbit? Keep on reading to find out!

How large was the crowd at the recent U.S. presidential inauguration? Or the inauguration eight years ago? Keep on reading to find out how crowd sizes are estimated

Are we alone in the universe? If so, why? If not, where is everybody? Thankfully, math can help us with these astronomically profound questions

How to calculate percentages is easier than you think. Quick, what’s 36% of 25? Or how about 250% of 20? Learn a quick and dirty tip to help you calculate all of those pesky percentages in your head.

Do you know what it is that a light-year actually measures? Do you know why so many people find it confusing? And why they really shouldn’t?

Learn how to use statistics to understand the significance of the latest political polling results and to keep yourself from being duped by misleading information

What are half-lives? And what do they have to do with measuring the age of the solar system and predicting the effects of a morning cup of coffee? Keep on reading to find out!

Have you ever wondered how people figured out their latitude back in the days before the Internet? Did you know you can use the same math trick they used to pinpoint your latitude today? Keep on reading to find out how it works

What do you get when you put a real and an imaginary number together? A complex number. No, not a complicated number (although it is kind of complicated). We’re talking about an entirely new set of numbers dubbed “complex”

Do you know what a limit is in math? Do you know how to define a circle using this idea? And do you know why you might want to? Keep on reading to find out!

Do you know that math can help you survive? I’m not talking about jobs, money, and feeding yourself—I mean the lost in the wilderness, life depends on it kind of surviving. How does this work? Keep on reading The Math Dude to find out

How can you measure time without using a stopwatch? You could use the movement of the sun across the sky, watch a pendulum swing or burn some very special string. Keep on reading to find out how it works!

What are the odds of successfully flying through an asteroid field like the one in The Empire Strikes Back? Are they really 3,720 to one as suggested by C-3PO? Or are they much worse…or perhaps better? Keep on reading to find out

Ever heard of the Monty Hall problem? If so, did the world famous brain teaser leave you flummoxed? If not, how does getting flummoxed—and then just as quickly un-flummoxed—sound? Hopefully you're up for the challenge (and the fun) because that's exactly what's in store for today!

What's the most important holiday in May? Obviously it's Mother's Day. But did you know there's an equation that can help you celebrate Mom? Keep on reading to find out what it is!

How is rainfall measured? What does it mean when it rains an inch? And how many gallons of water fall on your roof in a storm? Keep on reading to learn all about the math behind April showers and May flowers

Want to amaze your friends at that Super Bowl party you're going to? All you have to do is hit 'em with some Super Bowl math fun facts. Keep on reading to learn what they are!

How many different New Year's Eve countdowns are there around the world? When do astronauts celebrate New Year's? Who celebrates first? And last? Keep on reading to learn all about these New Year's math fun facts

What are the chances that two players on the same soccer team share a birthday? How about two students in the same algebra class? Both seem pretty unlikely, right? The answer might surprise you!