Math in the Real World
Parabolas, word problems, the quadratic equation...Oh my. Carolyn Kellogg takes a trip to see the wizard: the student who knew all the answers in her high school algebra class. Sure, mastering algebra helps in real life? Sure squared.
Where are they now? In 1981 Paddy Spence (top left) did quite well in algebra class. He now runs Levlad, a major natural products company based in Los Angeles. Michael Eberstadt (top right) was an algebra star, but he doesn't think about it much now. He owns two pizza parlors and the restaurant Bayou in Harlem. After our algebra class, Jay Shepherd (bottom left) turned from math to liberal arts. He's the principal at Shepherd Law Group in Boston. As a freelance reporter, Carolyn Kellogg (bottom right) does not use much algebra. But she does know the quadratic equation. (Photos: Courtesy Carolyn Kellogg)
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