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The Magic of the Blackboard - Nautilus

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I n the beginning, there is nothing. Then a stroke of white appears. And another. Characters form. Shapes emerge from the darkness. Order out of chaos. Something magical happens when a scientist writes with chalk on a blackboard. Hollywood directors know this, and have harnessed it in films from A Beautiful Mind to Oppenheimer. But no one appreciates the power of this venerable technology better than physicists and mathematicians, who infinitely prefer the humble blackboard to its high-tech rivals. The question is, why? What does slate-and-chalk offer, which cannot be simulated by paper or plastic? “This is a cult that goes back centuries,” says Yang-Hui He, a professor at the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences. “When you hold a piece of chalk, and you’re looking at a blackboard, it feels like you’re doing mathematics, because this is how it has always been done.” The practice dates to at least the 11th century A.D., when the Persian scholar Al-Biruni describes schoolchildren

The Magic of the Blackboard - Nautilus Skip to Content Advertisement Math The Magic of the Blackboard Why scientists can’t quit chalk, even in the digital age. TZ By Theo Zenou 5:49 PM CST on January 10, 2024 Share on Facebook Share on X (formerly Twitter) Share on Reddit Share on Email Share on Bluesky I n the beginning, there is nothing. Then a stroke of white appears. And another. Characters form. Shapes emerge from the darkness. Order out of chaos. Featured Video Something magical happens when a scientist writes with chalk on a blackboard. Hollywood directors know this, and have harnessed

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