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You
are here: Gene Genie
Recommended Reading
by Thomas Bass
Wired Magazine, V.3.08, August, 1995The subject of Gene Genie, Leonard Adleman, says some interesting things about scientific research and mathematics that will be of interest to science and math teachers.
Adleman is a mathematician and professor of computer science whose fascinating career is the subject of this article. Adelman is known primarily for his codesign of a public-key cryptography system , but he has also built and demonstrated a molecular computer (using human DNA). His participation in promising research on a treatment for AIDS led him to conceive of the molecular computer and his experiences lead him to suggest that [t]he next generation could produce a scientist in the old sense, a real generalist, who could learn the physics, chemistry, and biology, and be able to contribute to all three disciplines at once. (p.164)
The foundation for his work in these diverse areas is mathematics. He calls math the ultimate science. It's weightless science. It's supersonic science. You can study entire universes inside your brain and complete an experiment the second you conceive of it. . . (p.164)
What can we learn from this visionary thinker about preparing the scientists of tomorrow? How do we encourage children to develop this kind of mathematical intelligence? There is a great deal of interest in the Internet community in helping K-12 teachers introduce habits of mind that encourage the use of mathematical tools to solve problems.
Internet Math Sites:
Mega-Mathematics Los Alamos National Laboratory. Wow! .
MathMol Using mathematics for molecular modeling. Page includes hypertext introduction to molecular modeling and 3-D visualization. Designed for K-12 students.
The Cornell Theory Center Math and Science Gateway is another list of math-related websites.
TERC Educational Resources Contains a number of excellent links to Internet resources in math and science.
Links to Math Organizations including the NCTM, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, publishers of a set of standards for school mathematics. The standards are not available on their home page, but you can contact them by e-mail.
Visit Serendip and play The Prisoner's Dilemma.