The Math You Need to Reach the Moon

They do not want you to know this.

This is the first of a new series of informational articles appearing on Tom Swift. It is a combination of text and original interactive material, which I believe will be very effective in mathematical and scientific instruction. While most simulations will be available only to paid subscribers, I have made an example available here to all subscribers. These articles will comprise Phase One of the Tom Swift Academy.

At the height of the Cold War, President Eisenhower signed the Defense and Education Act, a series of efforts to improve American mathematical and scientific education to the level of our competitors. Among these was the development of the New Math. The New Math is something you may dimly remember, if you are old enough to do so. It is a relic from an age long gone, widely ridiculed, and seemingly lost to the dustbin of history. It did not fail due to its inherent nature. It was simply beyond the comprehension of the average American. However, its introduction of topics such as binary numbers and set theory proved to be quite helpful in training America’s cognitive elite.

As the telos of education shifted from national defense to therapeutic social service, these stillborn attempts at rigor vanished from the chalkboards. However, if you are interested in studying the workings of circuits or any technical subject at all, many elements of the New Math will prove to be quite salutary. If you are an aspiring Gentleman Scientist, I strongly recommend that you upgrade to paid, and learn more!. As you are reading this Substack article when you could be watching videos of roller-skating squirrels, I will assume that you are already a member of the cognitive elite. The only question now remaining is how much you value the forbidden knowledge lurking behind this paywall…