OutFoxed

Send us Fan MailHi listeners, Welcome to our second podcast episode! Thank you for joining us. In this episode, we learned about meteorology. Join us in exploring how mathematical tools and data help in predicting the weather!Guest Bio:Ms. Aude Untersee is an engineer & weather forecaster who admires nature, is sensitive to climate change and the protection of life on Earth. She is interested in environmental issues and solutions to reduce the impact of our activities. Additionally, she is passionate about gliding and long-distance flying, thanks to the infinite energy available in the atmosphere!Key Topics Discussed:Aude shares how outdoor activities sparked her interest in weather. She explained the typical educational pathway of a meteorologist.She clarifies the difference between weather and climate.Meteorologists use cool tools: from weather balloons to radars!Do we still need humans to interpret weather data?Also, we learned what 1 °C change in global temperatures means for Switzerland.Recommended Links:MeteoSwiss WebsiteMaths Question Data Set - Excellent for maths teachers!Math Challenge:Santiago is the capital of Chile. Based on the WMO’s Weather Normals, between 1961 and 1990, the coldest month was July with an average temperature of 8.1 degrees Celsius, and the hottest month was January with an average temperature of 20.3 degrees. The next 30-year Weather Normal was 1991-2020 where the July average temperature was 9.1 degrees Celsius and the January average was 21.1 degrees. Compare the temperatures between the two periods.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of OutFoxed, we delve into the interesting intersection of mathematics and architecture with our guest, Chris Dobosz. Join us as we explore how maths shapes architectural design and inspires solutions...Guest Bio:Location: American architect based in Geneva, Switzerland.Education: B.S. Arch (University of Michigan); M.Arch (UC Berkeley).Expertise: Sustainable civic, cultural, and educational design (Williams College, ASU, UCLA).Current Focus: Technical delivery of bespoke residential projects using innovative European materials.Specialty: Resolving complex technical detailing and "thorny" design problems.Key Topics Discussed:Chris shares how he got interested in architecture. Spoiler: It was Legos!He explained how architects work with clients, engineers, and builders.He recommends classes and skills for aspiring architects. AI will change how architects design in the future, but Chris predicts that humans still make the final decisions on how space is used.He recommended a helpful architecture book and an alumni architect to look up.Recommended Links:Study Architecture FirmChing, Francis D.K.; Book: Architecture: Form, Space, and OrderClement Luk Laurencio; Alumni Newsletter: Architectural Designer and External Design CriticMath Challenge:Let’s imagine you are an architect, and you need to design stairs to connect the first and second floors. The height between the two floors is 2.4 meters. The average riser — the vertical distance of each step — is 20 cm, and the depth of each step — from front to back — is 30 cm. If your staircase were straight (no turns), how many steps would your design require (not counting the first floor landing), and what is the length of the base?Follow-up Question:Now you need to buy paint for the triangular wall on the first floor, and it takes 100ml of paint per square meter. How much paint would you need to buy if you were going to do 2 coats of paint on that wall?