Have you ever wondered what actually happens behind the scenes of our project? While we are a mathematics-related project, we don’t really spend our days only solving equations or calculating. Instead, our daily work, as one can see through our presentations and publications, revolves around philology, history and digital humanities: We are creating a digital edition and are working on digital manuscript descriptions of historical texts. Over the past year, we’ve been asking ourselves how we can make this work, our daily work lives, and the fascinating history of our field more accessible to everyone. The answer? We are taking you on a journey with us – right on your phones!
We are thrilled to officially launch our new Social Media Initiative on Instagram. Every week, we will bring you fresh insights from our project, broken down into four distinct weekly categories. Here is a sneak peek of what you can expect on your feed:
• Meet the Modern Minds
Research isn’t done by anonymous algorithms – it’s driven by passionate people. In this category, we introduce you to the actual faces of our project. You’ll get to know our team members, what they are working on, and what drives their scientific curiosity.
• The Dead Mathematicians Society
We stand on the shoulders of giants. In this series, we pay tribute to the historical figures and brilliant minds whose past discoveries laid the groundwork for the research we are doing today.
• I think I learned something today!
Science is a process of constant learning, and sometimes, quite a bit of fun. Here, we share exciting trivia, daily “aha!” moments, and fun facts about how we work and how mathematics shapes the world.
• Before Laptops Existed
Long before supercomputers and laptops, people found incredibly clever ways to calculate. In this category, we dive into the history of computing tools . From ancient abacuses to medieval Rechenpfennige (counting tokens), we explore the analog ancestors of modern technology.
Our goal is to demystify mathematics and show the human, way less intimidating side of science. Whether you are a fellow researcher, a student, or just curious, we’d love to have you along for the ride.
Follow us on Instagram at [@arith.metics_] and let us know in the comments which category you are most excited about!
See you on the feed!
By Katharina M. Hofer