Seattle Universal Math Museum presents
Math Out Loud
Conversations That Bring Math to Life
Math Out Loud is a monthly lecture series designed for the curious, the creative, and the “I didn’t know math could do that” crowd. No prior math knowledge required—just bring your curiosity.
October 7 | Why People Are Scared of Math + How to Change It
Did you know that when people think they’re “not a math person,” there’s usually a reason why? Maybe they froze during timed tests, felt embarrassed at the board, or decided that being slow meant being bad at math. These experiences can create a cycle of fear, anxiety, and avoidance that follows people LONG after math class ends.
In this interactive session, we’ll uncover why so many people feel anxious about math, how experiences shape the stories people tell themselves about their abilities, and what it actually means to be “good at math.” Together, we’ll try a few simple techniques designed to interrupt the anxiety spiral and help people experience math differently.
Whether you love math, hate it, or have spent your entire life avoiding it, you’ll leave with tools to help you and your community feel better about math starting RIGHT NOW!
The Museum of Flight
Lecture: 6:00-7:00 PM • Free (suggested donation $25/ticket)
VIP experience available
About the Speaker
Known as the Lady Gaga of math education, Vanessa Vakharia is the founder and director of The Math Guru, a boutique math & science tutoring studio in Toronto that's changing stereotypes about what math education looks like. She is also the host of the Math Therapy podcast, author of the NEW bestselling book Math Therapy, and lead singer/keytarist for rock band Goodnight Sunrise. She has her Bachelor of Commerce, Teaching Degree, and Masters of Math Education. Her goal is to totally change math culture so that math is finally as cool as every single Taylor Swift song ever written. She failed Grade 11 math twice, which was the best thing that ever happened to her.
Voices from the Series
We kicked things off in April 2026 with Dan Finkel—educator, puzzle creator, and founder of Math for Love, whose work has reached millions through TED-Ed.
His talk, Billiard Balls and Laser Beams, explored a simple question: if you turned on a light in a room made entirely of mirrors, would the whole room light up… or could some parts remain in darkness?
From there, he took us into reflective geometry—connecting solar power, juggling, chaos, and even unsolved problems.
We kept the momentum going in May with Dr. Talithia Williams—statistician, Harvey Mudd College professor, and host of PBS’s NOVA Wonders.
Her talk, Numbers with a Narrative, explored how mathematics is a living language capable of shaping our world. She took us on a journey through data science and storytelling, showing how lived experiences can transform complex data into impactful narratives. By breaking down how data can challenge personal health assumptions, Dr. Williams inspired us to see how individual voices can completely redefine who does math.
We kept the inspiration flowing in June with Jacqueline Cordes—award-winning composer, digital artist, and polyglot whose work explores the immersive worlds of "musical chromesthesia."
Her talk, How to Create Colorful Music, took us on a fascinating journey into the phenomenon of synesthesia, where senses intertwine to create extraordinary perceptual experiences. From exploring colorful alphabets to analyzing the vivid hues of Radiohead and the melodic structure of the Fibonacci sequence, she showed us how elements like tempo and mode shape the music we see.
We continued our series in July with Satyan Devadoss—fellow of the American Mathematical Society, award-winning educator, and professor whose work blends mathematics, art, and design.
His talk, Exploring Shapes in the Fourth Dimension and Beyond, took us on a journey past the limits of ordinary space, inspired by the vision of artists like Marcel Duchamp and Salvador Dalí.
Through striking visual imagery and geometric exploration, he unraveled mysteries dating back to Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer, showing us how the mathematics of folding, unfolding, and higher-dimensional shapes connects to modern innovations like airbag design and the James Webb Space Telescope.
We continued our series in August with Dr. Cecilia Aragon—data scientist, award-winning author, former aerobatic pilot, and director of the Human-Centered Data Science Lab at the University of Washington.
Her talk, How a Tech Visionary Overcame Fear to Soar, explored how structural thinking, mathematics, and logic can become powerful tools for personal transformation and conquering fear. She shared her inspiring journey from deep-seated phobias to the open skies—detailing how she used math to design software for NASA, teach astronauts to fly, and co-found Latinas in Computing.
We wrapped up the summer series in September with Shiying Dong—PhD physicist, mathematician, and mathematical artist whose work with fiber art has been featured in The New York Times.
Her talk, Learning, Creating, Bonding, and Healing with Topological Crochet, introduced how fiber art can become a hands-on gateway to mathematics, creativity, and human connection. Attendees kicked off the event with an engaging hands-on craft workshop, creating an interactive environment where participants brought mathematical concepts to life before diving into the lecture. She demonstrated how algebraic topology can be made accessible without an advanced background, showing how turning abstract concepts into sculptural forms fosters community, joy, and personal healing.
