For antonyms in the title I read The Mathematics of Love by
Hannah Fry. I know I’m stretch the definitions of ‘antonyms’ since the true
opposite of love would be hate or indifference but I think it works. When you
think about the abstract emotional nature of love, you don’t think about
algebraic equations, graphs, and logic.
One of the early examples of math was Fry explaining the
math behind how self-defeating excessive criteria is. Being too picky is a sure
fire recipe to end up alone and Fry actually backs up this logic with numbers.
She goes on to explain the logic behind some of the algorithms
of OKCupid and other dating sites. As someone who has tried online dating, it
was interesting to see the logic and numbers behind what went into the process,
including sending me people who weren’t a good match. One of my favorite points
is that women who are considered cute overall aren’t as likely to have success
as women who elicit extreme reactions of hot or not. Her example for this was
Leela versus Wilma Flintstone.
I loved her examples. They were always characters we’d know
or recognize like using Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Cruella, and a Dalmatian puppy
as examples for wedding reception disaster seating. Fry did a good job
balancing the line between explaining complex math while keeping it fun and interesting. Humans are predictable creatures even with something as unpredictable as feelings. If you want more insight into how the heart works, definitely give this short book a look.
Music: You're the One for Me by Delta Rae
