Another math geek, checking in. Where's the new thread you mentioned?fyffer wrote: BTW, this thread bears a call to arms for the other math geeks out there. New thread coming ...
I agree with what others said about speaking to a 6-year-old in terms she can understand. As to the broader question of "what is math?" (or "what are mathematics?") in general, that's a tough one. You'll probably have better luck getting the NON-math geeks to commit to an answer -- to those of us who love math, the field is so vast and beautiful that we have a hard time knowing where to begin a description.
As for the picture, I never knew an Irish Water Spaniel would hold still long enough to develop barnacles. (It IS an Irish Water Spaniel, isn't it?) Having had golden retrievers for several decades but now owning a Labrador retriever, I no longer make jokes about Labs being for people who don't have the gumption to groom a golden. That's me now, and loving it!