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Comment and Mathematics

If we reassessed what maths is, perhaps it wouldn't make us so anxious

Fear of maths has been around for at least a century. Here are some ways to overcome it, says Sarah Hart, professor emerita of mathematics at Birkbeck, University of London

By Sarah Hart

25 September 2024

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Adrià Voltà

Maths phobia is older than you might think. A hundred years ago, German physicist Felix Auerbach, lamenting the phenomenon and hoping to find ways to address it, wrote a little book called The Fear of Mathematics and How to Overcome It. Maths, he said, has so much to contribute to society that addressing this fear is a challenge of the highest importance.

Auerbach was a fascinating character – a scientist but also a patron of the arts. Edvard Munch painted his portrait and Bauhaus School founder Walter Gropius designed his house. For a mathematician like myself, the pleasure of…

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