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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Back in April, an unusual mix of scientists, artists, and magicians met in Atlanta for the 14th Gathering for Gardner (G4G14), a biennial conference inspired by the late Martin Gardner, who wrote the Recreational Mathematics column for Scientific American from 1957-1981. The emphasis is on mixing fun and science, and speakers must stick to six minute time limits during their stage presentations. One of those presenting was mathematician Lew Lefton, College of Sciences assistant dean of information technology and associate vice president for research computing, who spent his time onstage telling math/science jokes. Example: “You either believe in the law of the excluded middle or you don’t.” (The law of the excluded middle: a statement is either true or false.) Lew's follow-up: "That's the only time that joke has ever got a laugh."
