When it comes to teaching math, a debate has persisted for decades: How, and to what degree, should algorithms be a focus of learning math? The step-by-step procedures are among the most debated ...

This summer, battle lines were drawn over a simple math problem: 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2) = ? If you divide 8 by 2 first, you get 16, but if you multiply 2 by (2 + 2) first, you get 1. So, which answer is right?

On a recent hike around the ruins of the St. Francis Dam disaster site about 40 miles from Downtown Los Angeles, with my archaeologist friend, John, we discussed the tarnished life of its builder and ...