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The history & tradition of burning math books

Olha Ruskykh
/
Pexels

This interview originally aired on "In the Moment" on SDPB Radio.

Throughout the 19th century, college students at a few of the country's most prestigious schools held ritualistic cremations and funerals for math textbooks.

Travis Kowalski, Ph.D., brings us his research into the hidden history and symbolic traditions of math book burning.

Kowalski is a math professor and the head of the math department at South Dakota Mines.

Lori Walsh is the host and senior producer of In the Moment.
Ellen Koester is a producer of In the Moment, SDPB's daily news and culture broadcast.
Ari Jungemann is a producer of In the Moment, SDPB's daily news and culture broadcast.