Angle Trisection: A problem many tried to solve. A 'SkepTalk' with the Bay Area Skeptics

Throughout history many people have tried to find some seemingly simple solutions to problems that were not understood because of the limits of knowledge about how things really work. Alchemy, tried to do more than just make gold, and perpetual motion tried to overcome the laws of thermodynamics. Science and Reason have not always been applied as they are now!

Not so well known but equally fascinating is the history of angle trisection. Dividing an angle into three equal parts is not as easy as it seems it should be. We'll review thousands of years of attempted trisection and the rich mathematics unearthed by this deceptively simple geometry problem.

WHO:   Paul Stepahin grew up in San Diego but has never been on a surfboard. He studied physics in college but is still baffled by things like zippers. He's been at the Exploratorium for the last decade, building boxes, changing lightbulbs and occasionally speaking to the public. He first gave this talk about angle trisection at a wake for dead science ideas.

WHY:   Because we're curious creatures.