From the quirky and obscure to the profound and life-changing, the knowledge we accumulate day by day shapes our perspective and enriches our understanding of the world. Reflecting on the past month, I’ve gathered a list of 50 interesting things I learned — ranging from scientific breakthroughs and mathematical stuff to everyday wonders.
Herein lies a collection of insights that surprised, delighted, and sometimes challenged me, inviting you to explore the breadth of knowledge I learned in February. I hope you enjoy reading it!
First, Interesting Math Stuff
- The radius of a circle inscribed in a 3–4–5 triangle is 1. If I were a geometry teacher today, I would only give this fact to the students in the final exam and ask them to prove it. If a student can prove it, that means, they have learned geometry.
- The decimal point originated around 150 years earlier than previously thought, invented by Italian mathematician and astronomer Giovanni Bianchini in the 1440s. Bianchini, who had a background in economics not typical for astronomers, used a decimal system in his astronomical tables from the 1440s, including a…
