Recently, I read about black holes, I got curious and more interested in the topic, so I read more about it. But then learning about black holes made me see how cool maths is. The way black holes work is like a puzzle, and understanding that puzzle got me interested in playing with numbers and figuring out how things work using maths. It’s like using maths to unlock the secrets of the universe!

The main idea here is about maths. I found that mathematics is like the big boss of all subjects. Maths is the first thing we learn in school and it keeps going until higher grades. It can even go to more advanced levels, like in special degrees. But, here’s the thing: how many of us really understand why we’re learning maths? How many of us see its use and make sense of it in our everyday lives?

Think about it this way, right from the beginning, we know about numbers and how to do simple maths like adding and subtracting. We also understand things like measurements and time. Those of you who are studying business stuff, might know about things like revenue, profit and cash flows. But, apart from these examples, we might not realise how much maths is part of our everyday life!

Even though maths is behind everything and is used in every area of life, we might not realise it. It’s not like our teachers are trying to keep it a secret; maybe they also didn’t get how important it is or just follow what they were taught. I’m not blaming the teachers, but why do you think this happens?

So, how did I get into maths and find it interesting? Well, I wasn’t really a fan of maths before because it seemed confusing. I used to dodge it whenever I could. But then, things changed when I discovered the mystery of black holes and how it’s connected to maths. That’s when maths started to make sense and got interesting for me.

When I first heard about the news of capturing an image of a black hole. I wondered why everyone on social media was talking about it, so I got really curious. When I learned the details, I was shocked.

Back in 2017, astronomers aimed to study the invisible centre of the huge galaxy Messier 87 (M87), located around 55 million light-years from Earth near the Virgo galaxy cluster. They used a global network of telescopes called the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration (EHT) to capture the first-ever photo of a black hole.

Interestingly, Albert Einstein predicted black holes in 1916 through his general Theory of Relativity, while the term ‘black hole’ was coined in 1967 by American astronomer John Wheeler. It’s incredible how, through maths and calculations, they predicted the existence of black holes. As kids, we read about black holes in science books, but I didn’t know then that it was just a prediction, not a discovery, this realisation still amazes me.

All this experience made me understand that mathematics is like the mother of all sciences, and knowledge is a mighty power. It’s a big deal, both back then and even now.

I believe that creating awareness about the practical use of mathematics is crucial for truly appreciating its value and making sense of it. Education is essential for everyone, and when it comes to subjects like mathematics, it’s important to make it engaging.

Teachers can play a key role by presenting mathematics in an interesting way. They can share fascinating facts and cool tricks to capture students’ interest. This approach not only makes learning enjoyable, but also helps students see the real-world applications of mathematics, fostering a deeper understanding of its significance.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 13th, 2024