Is the claim that “math is everywhere” a truth or a myth? Why does every child in the world who is lucky enough to go to school have to study mathematics at some point? What are the “weapons of math destruction”? Do humans have “biologically endowed abilities for perceiving and discriminating quantities”? Can doing mathematics lead to feelings of pride, happiness, and joy? In this presentation, these and other questions related to the role of mathematics in our lives will be discussed in a lighthearted manner.

Veselin Jungic is a Professor at the Department of Mathematics at SFU. He is a recipient of several teaching awards, including the Canadian Mathematical Society Teaching Award and the Pacific Institute for Mathematical Sciences Educational Award. Most of his research is in Ramsey theory and the field of mathematics education. He developed the Math Catcher Outreach Program which aims to promote mathematics and scholarship by encouraging elementary and high school students to recognize how math is used in everyday life and how it forms the basis for many of our daily decisions and lifelong choices.