Ever wonder what a byte is? It’s eight bits. So what is a bit?…
Blog
Did you have a teddy bear?
One Friday evening my wife, Helen, and I were talking about our childhood. She asked me what my teddy bear was like. That simple question lead to a mindblowing experience.
What is this thing called a brain?
I always think of the brain as front, middle and back and also left and right. Its a gross oversimplification, but very useful if you want to make friends with your brain and get it to work best for you.
What is this thing called language?
Language. “The method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way. (Oxford Dictionary)”. Yes, but what is it really all about?…
What is this thing called Mathematics?
I love maths, but I don’t understand what it is. Now how crazy is that?…
Catching flies
My mum was an expert at catching flies and she taught me how to do it. It’s usually a two hand job, but once you know the trick a single hander will also often work. If nothing else, it’s a good party trick.
What happened to the “be” in the verb “to be”?
Imagine that you were learning English for the first time. You would struggle with the verb “to be”…
My quick way to solve Sudoku puzzles
I assume you know how sudoku puzzles work. I’ve studied the techniques and enjoy the challenge of “Expert” puzzles. However, because of my abacus maths training, I don’t just want to solve the puzzles, I want to find the quickest way to do so. Here’s what I’ve found -…
Amazing Maths – The Golden Spiral in Nature
Ever heard of the golden spiral? Take a look at it.
Derek’s Maths Tip – Dividing with the Japanese abacus
Whew! Being a math genius is hard work! But at Gallagher School in Midrand, we know how to work hard and have lots of fun doing so. You already learned how to add, subtract, and multiply with the Japanese abacus. Are you ready to learn how to divide?…
Teaching our learners about life – Crisis? Blessing? or Both?
Did you ever look back on the crises in your life and realise that they turned into blessings?…
Multiplying with the Japanese abacus
So far, we have learned the principles of addition and subtraction. Now let’s look at multiplication.
How to pass every exam first time (mainly for adults)
An exam is not to find out what you know, it’s to find out how many marks you can score. This one thought is critical if you want to pass first time, every time.
Adding and subtracting with the Japanese abacus
In a previous article, I introduced you to the Japanese abacus, or soroban. Now I’ll teach you to add and subtract.
How Mind Power cured my essential tremours
About 10 years ago my hands had developed uncontrollable shakes and I took myself of to a neurologist. After testing me for Parkinson’s Disease, she concluded that I had something called essential tremours. Eight years later, I cured it with Mind Power.
Teaching our kids to win the game of life
In late October 2018, I was a guest speaker at the World Abacus Maths Competition, which for the first time, was held here in South Africa. Holding the attention of some 400 kids was going to be a challenge, so I chose to talk about something close to their hearts.
About the Japanese abacus
At Gallagher Combined School, abacus maths is a compulsory subject. Many of the parents are curious about what their children are doing and would like to know more, so here’s a short introduction to the Japanese abacus.
Don’t have arguments in your head!
Back in the 70’s, I was trained in Advanced Self Management by a guy named Sedley Burger. One of the stories he told was of a guy who wanted to borrow his neighbour’s power cable.
Philasande Mahlangu pulls off a big one!
Philasande Mahlangu came 2nd out of about 45 competitors in the inter-schools Natural Sciences contest this week (16th May). He scored 23 out of 30 but was just pipped at the post by the winner who scored 24.