Fun with maths!

[Max Headroom]

[YOUTUBE]w-I6XTVZXww[/YOUTUBE]

So I happened across a really interesting video a while ago, and decided to re-watch it again this morning. It basically says that, if you take all of the real numbers from one to infinity, you will find a special value of -1/12. This is very interesting as there are not even any negative integers in the original sum.

What I wanted to do with this thread is get all of you to watch it, and say what you think! Do you find things like this interesting as well? Do you disagree, and if so, do you have a counter-proof to say this is wrong? Do you have any really cool math-related videos to share? Let's see!

This thread will also warmly welcome any physics related talk! If anyone shows interest I have plenty of other awesome things to share as well!

 

[Starkist]

Math at times, hurts my head. But, it's crazy how math may have the ability to solve mostly all mysteries in life.

 

[Gelgarin]

You're doing something that is essentially impossible; as such expecting the result to make any kind of sense seems like a poor career move.

 

[enviousdominous]

Can you calculate the probability?

[YOUTUBE]IEqjTjES2nI[/YOUTUBE]

 

[enviousdominous]

There may be even larger numbers!

[YOUTUBE]4J9MRYJz9-4[/YOUTUBE]

 

[enviousdominous]

Only a tenth of the height of Milsy.

[YOUTUBE]6L0xT8lMyss[/YOUTUBE]

 

[enviousdominous]

50% of the audience believed that the number 16 can be made by adding together two other square numbers.

[YOUTUBE]BbX44YSsQ2I[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Cereal Killer]

I couldn't find a better video to explain, but here you are anyway with the "Monty Hall problem":

[YOUTUBE]/watch?v=mhlc7peGlGg[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Max Headroom]

You're doing something that is essentially impossible; as such expecting the result to make any kind of sense seems like a poor career move.

It may seem impossible! But you never know what could happen. People once thought the square root of negative one was impossible/useless to study, but it turns out there are a bunch of things that relate to imaginary numbers, and need those numbers to be properly explained. Look at quantum mechanics, too. Who would have thought that there are particles literally popping in and out of existence within fractions of seconds so small it's almost unimaginable? That's only the beginning!

Until we're flying around in star-ships like Captain Kirk, there are still things to be discovered, and maths are the key to those discoveries! (Or we'll all cause ourselves to go extinct before I reach age 50, but I would rather not go down that path).

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I always thought this Ma and Pa Kettle skit was funny.

[YOUTUBE]gTv6fFLVi4Q[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Skyeborne]

It basically says that, if you take all of the real numbers from one to infinity, you will find a special value of -1/12.

The math major in me has to correct you, I'm sorry. It's all the natural numbers, not real numbers...=P

It may seem impossible! But you never know what could happen. People once thought the square root of negative one was impossible/useless to study, but it turns out there are a bunch of things that relate to imaginary numbers, and need those numbers to be properly explained. Look at quantum mechanics, too. Who would have thought that there are particles literally popping in and out of existence within fractions of seconds so small it's almost unimaginable? That's only the beginning!

Until we're flying around in star-ships like Captain Kirk, there are still things to be discovered, and maths are the key to those discoveries! (Or we'll all cause ourselves to go extinct before I reach age 50, but I would rather not go down that path).

They break rules of series, this is interesting, but based on factless information. When you are talking about sum and equals with infinite series the definition is a little bit different, (1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 converges at 1, but will never actually reach one.) and all the series in the video do not converge. "Proving" 1-1+1-1+...=1/2 is like proving 1=0. You can't multiply throughout an infinite series because it won't carry through the entire series. There is a relation between 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +... and -1/12, but it is not equals. It's like saying 2+2 = 5 because equals to me means something different than what you think it means.