Gift Shopping
Reprising Kissing a Frog, A Math Problem for the Princess and A Mathematicians's Guide to Mating
From Prof. Billingham's essay: "I'm told that when men meet women, they sometimes rate each other on a scale of 1 to 10. Of course, mathematicians are far too intelligent and sophisticated do this. We rate people on a scale of 0 to 1. In our original mathematical model, all we could do was compare one possible frog with another. The numbers didn't mean anything in themselves; they just told the princess whether one frog was "better" than another. Let's change the fairytale slightly so that the 100 frogs are now labelled with numbers drawn randomly from those that lie between 0 and 1, with the handsome prince having the highest number. What's the princess's best strategy now?" more »
Klimt & Rodin: An Artist Encounter Breaking the Reigning Aesthetic Boundaries of the Time
Approximately 25 sculptures and works on paper by Rodin from the Fine Arts Museums’ collection will provide visual dialogues with the works by Klimt. The exhibition is thematically arranged around the Vienna Secession, Rodin's 1901 exhibition in Vienna, Rodin’s 1902 visit to Vienna, Klimt's landscapes and Rodin’s surfaces, and the depiction of women for both artists an eternal source of inspiration exploring shared touch points and developments in the two artists' practices throughout. more »
Most People Fail to Do a Simple Statistical Task When Viewing Online Ratings and Reviews Leading to Purchase Inferior Products
When shopping online, consumers engage in a type of social learning by which they become informed from the decisions of others. For example, you’re probably more likely to purchase a book at the top of the New York Times' best-sellers list or buy an app that’s been downloaded millions of times. But observing other people’s choices is only a part of social learning. The other is noting the resulting outcomes through mechanisms like online star ratings. But how people interpret — or fail to interpret — this data is affecting their decision-making in a negative way. more »
Past Is Present, Revival Jewelry: "Reviving and Reinterpreting Antique Styles For a New Age"
Revival jewelry became fashionable in the 19th century, as opportunities for travel increased; archaeological digs unearthed ancient treasures and newly founded museums (including the MFA) and international expositions showcased discoveries from antiquity. Surrounded by this history, jewelers were among the many artists who found inspiration in the myriad of freshly available visual resources, incorporating them into their work. While jewelry from the 19th and early 20th centuries explored many revival styles, the exhibition largely focuses on four: archaeological (inspired by newly excavated art and artifacts), as well as Renaissance, Egyptian and Classical. more »