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Lisa Simpson, Role Model

Writing for Newsweek, Roger Highfield argues that Lisa Simpson, of the television show The Simpsonshas long conveyed the message that girls can be good at math.

Highfield quotes Simon Singh, author of The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets:

When I talk to school kids about the mathematics hidden in The Simpsons, I always stress Lisa’s character, because she is such a great role model for girls who might be budding geeks or nascent nerds.

Highfield even seems to agree with Suw Charman-Anderson that Lisa might have more sway than real-life mathematicians like Fields Medal winner Maryam Mirzakhani. Says Charman-Anderson:

The fact that she’s a core character in the longest-running American sitcom, gives her an influence perhaps beyond that of flesh-and-blood women in science and maths.

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Start Date: 
Monday, September 29, 2014