I'm using the #100Days challenge to blog my way toward a book for math amateurs exploring the Collatz Conjecture. I'm calling it: Collatz For Crackpots That's a title that requires two definitions: What is Collatz? and Who/What are the Crackpots? First, the Collatz Conjecture has been called the "Easiest, Hardest Math Problem". You can explain it to any precocious 8-year old as follows: Take any number N. If it is even, divide it by 2. If it is odd, multiply by 3 and add 1. Repeat. What ...

American Exceptionalism is like spotty cell phone coverage. At times and places (and for some people more than others), the American "signal" is exceptionally strong. We just need to keep demanding and striving for better coverage. ...