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Math Coffee: "Do Dogs Know Calculus?" Dr. Tim Pennings, Hope College

When: March 21, 2010   7:00 pm -  8:00 pm

Where:  Chambers 1062 ,   Chambers Building

Speaker:  Dr. Tim Pennings, Professor of Mathematics, Hope College, and his dog Elvis, a Welsh corgi

Ticket Required: No

A standard calculus problem is to find the quickest path from a point on shore to a point in the lake, given that running speed is greater than swimming speed.  Elvis, Dr. Pennings' Welsh Corgi, had never had a calculus course.  But when they played "fetch" at Lake Michigan, he appeared to choose paths close to the calculus answer.  In this talk we reveal what was found when Dr. Pennings and Elvis experimentally tested this ability.  Elvis will be available for follow-up questions.Poster for Tim Pennings Lecture

Contact: Prof. Donna Molinek