Another session of the ISEP Webinars, organized by “Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto” (ISEP), will take place on October 22, at 4:00 p.m.

This seminar, presented by Fernando Blasco, has as its theme “Martin Gardner's Problems.”   

To access the seminar, please click here.

Abstract

In this webinar we present some problems and quizzes proposed by Martin Gardner. Problem solving is nor a subject by itself, but it is a soft skill that should be known by scientists and engineers. Martin Gardner wrote the column "Mathematical Games" in Scientific American for more than 25 years and the topics he wrote about covered cryptography, game theory, cellular automata, maths and art, ... They are a big source of examples for all STEM subjects and we can use some of them to illustrate a great variety of maths-related concepts, in a recreational and interesting way.

Bio

Fernando Blasco holds a PhD in Mathematical Sciences and is an Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Interested in scientific outreach, the relationship between education and dissemination, and the integration of science as part of culture, he has promoted innovative educational initiatives through recreational mathematics and mathematical magic. Since 2020, he has been the president of the Dissemination Commission of the Spanish Mathematical Society and a member of the Outreach and Engagement Committee of the European Mathematical Society.

For over 20 years, he has been a frequent speaker in teacher training courses, training for scientific museum guides, and numerous educational events both within Spain and internationally, especially in recent years in collaboration with the Cervantes Institute. He has built bridges between secondary and high school education and the university, collaborating in the presentation of the Polytechnic University of Madrid in educational centers, conducting activities to promote STEM subjects, and participating in committees developing university entrance exams.