Ben Sparks
@sparksmaths.bsky.social
Mathematician, Musician, Speaker, Teacher. Freelance - MEI - Uni of Bath
Working with @Numberphile @MathsInspiratn @TMiPUK and on YouTube @SparksMaths
Get in touch and/or book me for a maths talk or workshop:
www.bensparks.co.uk
Working with @Numberphile @MathsInspiratn @TMiPUK and on YouTube @SparksMaths
Get in touch and/or book me for a maths talk or workshop:
www.bensparks.co.uk
I saw this one yesterday and thought of you and @peterrowlett.net
June 19, 2025 at 6:14 AM
I saw this one yesterday and thought of you and @peterrowlett.net
Q3 I'm going to claim this as a win. My answer is equivalent to 56kg, and it thinks I should have full marks.
June 10, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Q3 I'm going to claim this as a win. My answer is equivalent to 56kg, and it thinks I should have full marks.
Q2 it called my answer both incorrect and correct. You decide if I was successful.
June 10, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Q2 it called my answer both incorrect and correct. You decide if I was successful.
Here's an attempt:
Test (Gemini generated it)
Essentially:
1. 3/5 + 1/4
2. 2/3 + 5/6
3. 1/2 + 3/8
More details in image.
Test (Gemini generated it)
Essentially:
1. 3/5 + 1/4
2. 2/3 + 5/6
3. 1/2 + 3/8
More details in image.
June 10, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Here's an attempt:
Test (Gemini generated it)
Essentially:
1. 3/5 + 1/4
2. 2/3 + 5/6
3. 1/2 + 3/8
More details in image.
Test (Gemini generated it)
Essentially:
1. 3/5 + 1/4
2. 2/3 + 5/6
3. 1/2 + 3/8
More details in image.
I feel discerning teachers can see right through simplistic headlines like this.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Here's an idea for using LLMs to generate classroom discussion:
A 3 question fact check quiz (AI will try to generate one if you ask). Student instructions (don't tell the AI) in next post.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Here's an idea for using LLMs to generate classroom discussion:
A 3 question fact check quiz (AI will try to generate one if you ask). Student instructions (don't tell the AI) in next post.
June 10, 2025 at 7:24 AM
I feel discerning teachers can see right through simplistic headlines like this.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Here's an idea for using LLMs to generate classroom discussion:
A 3 question fact check quiz (AI will try to generate one if you ask). Student instructions (don't tell the AI) in next post.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Here's an idea for using LLMs to generate classroom discussion:
A 3 question fact check quiz (AI will try to generate one if you ask). Student instructions (don't tell the AI) in next post.
Then change pen colour from red to something more sensible. I think it will save with a presentation.
May 12, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Then change pen colour from red to something more sensible. I think it will save with a presentation.
Set Up Slide Show in Slide Show Tab
May 12, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Set Up Slide Show in Slide Show Tab
It feels like bullshit reasoning to retro-justify their goal, and it reminds me of this excerpt from Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency:
April 3, 2025 at 2:51 PM
It feels like bullshit reasoning to retro-justify their goal, and it reminds me of this excerpt from Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency:
Immediately followed by:
April 3, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Immediately followed by:
Joking mostly aside, it does read like a bad maths joke.
April 3, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Joking mostly aside, it does read like a bad maths joke.
Possibly less important, but still - why is the formula in the image on BlueSky at one angle, when the formula image on the BBC article is now at a different angle? What thought process lies behind actually implementing this non-trivial change?
April 3, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Possibly less important, but still - why is the formula in the image on BlueSky at one angle, when the formula image on the BBC article is now at a different angle? What thought process lies behind actually implementing this non-trivial change?
It's almost a new tax year. Here's my visualisation of how income tax works (or did in 2023-24).
Explainer vid: youtu.be/zXJCyffu8Og
Interactive version: www.geogebra.org/m/p97htgc3
Explainer vid: youtu.be/zXJCyffu8Og
Interactive version: www.geogebra.org/m/p97htgc3
March 31, 2025 at 1:25 PM
It's almost a new tax year. Here's my visualisation of how income tax works (or did in 2023-24).
Explainer vid: youtu.be/zXJCyffu8Og
Interactive version: www.geogebra.org/m/p97htgc3
Explainer vid: youtu.be/zXJCyffu8Og
Interactive version: www.geogebra.org/m/p97htgc3
Here's the moving version
March 31, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Here's the moving version
Headline: Maths has a gender attainment gap
Schools minister: we'll continue to promote STEM
DfE: cuts funding for Advanced Maths Support Programme, (AMSP) - specifically enrichment work
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Schools minister: we'll continue to promote STEM
DfE: cuts funding for Advanced Maths Support Programme, (AMSP) - specifically enrichment work
www.bbc.com/news/article...
March 10, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Headline: Maths has a gender attainment gap
Schools minister: we'll continue to promote STEM
DfE: cuts funding for Advanced Maths Support Programme, (AMSP) - specifically enrichment work
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Schools minister: we'll continue to promote STEM
DfE: cuts funding for Advanced Maths Support Programme, (AMSP) - specifically enrichment work
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Great day of top quality maths communication at MathsFest 2025. @standupmaths.bsky.social hosting Katie Steckles, @mscroggs.co.uk, Jen Visser-Rogers, @jamesgrime.com @nicole-cozens.bsky.social and me. Thanks to everyone for coming to join in!
February 27, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Great day of top quality maths communication at MathsFest 2025. @standupmaths.bsky.social hosting Katie Steckles, @mscroggs.co.uk, Jen Visser-Rogers, @jamesgrime.com @nicole-cozens.bsky.social and me. Thanks to everyone for coming to join in!
My @mathsgear.bsky.social Utilities Mug spontaneously rebelled against being solvable.
February 17, 2025 at 8:58 PM
My @mathsgear.bsky.social Utilities Mug spontaneously rebelled against being solvable.
Drawing and painting.
February 2, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Drawing and painting.
I am unreasonably proud of combining several obsessions in one animation. An impossible tribar (aka a Penrose Triangle) level 4 fractal (Sierpinski Triangle), in 3D GeoGebra, with dynamic lighting (using the dot product).
January 29, 2025 at 2:34 PM
I am unreasonably proud of combining several obsessions in one animation. An impossible tribar (aka a Penrose Triangle) level 4 fractal (Sierpinski Triangle), in 3D GeoGebra, with dynamic lighting (using the dot product).
It's always fun to speak about maths in a room directly after Charlie Gilderdale...
January 13, 2025 at 12:46 PM
It's always fun to speak about maths in a room directly after Charlie Gilderdale...
November 20, 2024 at 11:19 AM
Made a new adjustable spinner in GeoGebra @geogebra.bsky.social - might be useful.
www.geogebra.org/m/zwwtmgbs
www.geogebra.org/m/zwwtmgbs
November 5, 2024 at 5:45 PM
Made a new adjustable spinner in GeoGebra @geogebra.bsky.social - might be useful.
www.geogebra.org/m/zwwtmgbs
www.geogebra.org/m/zwwtmgbs
Always satisfying to be able to wrestle Geogebra into submission - here's a Hilbert Curve being traced.
Draft interactive version here: www.geogebra.org/m/a4emmsym
Draft interactive version here: www.geogebra.org/m/a4emmsym
November 4, 2024 at 1:07 PM
Always satisfying to be able to wrestle Geogebra into submission - here's a Hilbert Curve being traced.
Draft interactive version here: www.geogebra.org/m/a4emmsym
Draft interactive version here: www.geogebra.org/m/a4emmsym
You guys should meet @TeaKayB.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy @teakayb.bsky.social
November 2, 2024 at 2:23 PM
You guys should meet @TeaKayB.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy @teakayb.bsky.social