Geometry Puzzle...

Can you arrange a regular pentagon in a plane so that it touches six of its neighbors?

It would look like this...

A Name Change

I saw this article this morning, and since my father and my uncles all fought in World War II, it caught my eye. My father was stationed in Belgium and in France, but three of his brothers were in the Navy, and I grew up hearing the stories of what they always referred to as "the War in the Pacific." Iwo Jima was always part of that history, although none of them actually served there.

Now, I find out something I never knew; that "Iwo Jima" was known to those who lived there before the battle by another name: Iwo To. Apparently, in Japanese, the two names sound the same and mean the same thing. Those who lived there want the island restored to its original name.

It is a small piece of our world, and a large part of our history. I have mixed feelings. I know that those of my parents' generation, who remember World War II must feel even more strongly about this place and this name. Interestingly, as the article points out, even some Japanese have mixed feelings about this.

I wonder what you think?

Wow! Escher

The summer has begun for me, and I am enjoying time to browse and study and just "think things." I hope that all of you are relaxing, playing, resting, and doing the things that make you happy and strong and healthy. I think of you often.

As I am setting up this site through the summer, I think that one of the things that I will try to do is share interesting bits and pieces that I come across. At least, they are interesting to ME. Grin! Those who have been my students will understand that I can get fascinated with intellectually "odd" bits. Those of you who will come to be my students will undoubtedly just get used to it. Perhaps some of you who visit here will enjoy the oddities that I collect. I hope so.

At any rate, here's the beginning of my "summer collection."

An Escher Site