Workshop on Unit Conversion

Unit Conversion Workshop  

   Metric_System                    

Date: Thursday, December 3, 2015

Time: 1:00 pm

Room: N723

Abstract:

In the information age, it is important to know how to convert a measurement from one system of units to another, particularly for citizens and residents of the United States who use the British system of measurement while the metric system is used in the other countries. In this workshop we will present examples to help us interpret measurements and learn how to convert between units.

Introduction to Python – Session 2_Dec.2 2015

Introduction to Python – Session 2

Date: December 2, 2015

Time: 1:45 pm

Room: N723

Abstract:

In this workshop series you will learn the basics of the Python programming language, which is widely used in data analysis and scientific computing in both academia and industry. Participants will leave this second session understanding:

  1. How to read and write Python class definitions.
  2. The concept of encapsulation and how it contributes to building modular and maintainable programs.
  3. How to write programs involving simple class definitions.

 

 

Math Talk_Nov.19 Pascal’s Wager: Betting on God, why not?

Ms. Yoonhee Kang: Pascal’s Wager: Betting on God, why not?” 
“God is, or He is not.” But to which side shall we incline? Reason can decide nothing here […] A game is being played at the extremity of this infinite distance where heads or tails will turn up […] Which will you choose then? […] Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is. […] If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation that He is. (Pascal, Blaise, 1670, Pensées, §233)
Abstract: Is theism justified? How? Traditional philosophical arguments for theism (Anselm’s ontological argument, Aquinas’ cosmological argument, Descartes’s ontological and cosmological arguments, and so on) attempt to provide “proofs” for the existence of God. But Pascal – French philosopher, mathematician and physicist (1623-1662) –is unconvinced by those attempted proofs for God. Pascal develops a rather pragmatic argument providing prudential reasons for believing in God. Pascal claims, roughly to put, we should wager that God exists because it is the best bet!
In this talk, I will introduce Pascal’s Wager argument – his view on probability, voluntarism, and the use of the concept of infinity etc. I will also discuss various possible objections to his argumentation.