New mathematical record: what’s the point of calculating pi? The Guardian, August 17, 2021 Pi is something more than just a number. Pi has infinitely many digits after its decimal point and no observable pattern. It’s a classic example of so-called “transcendental numbers,” which can’t be calculated from any combination of ratios, powers, and roots…
Instagram post misleads on vaccine efficacy by conflating two different measures Politifact, May 28, 2021 Measuring the efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine involves several different—and potentially confusing—statistics. When we say that the Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective, we’re talking about relative risk reduction. A recent Instagram post with thousands of likes conflated the concepts of…