Cary library offers 'Go Figure: Making Numbers Count'

In early 2001, newspaper journalist and numbers maven Matt Baron delivered his first "Go Figure: Making Numbers Count" program at a Wisconsin Newspaper Association conference. Since then, he has shared the wonder of numbers to groups of adults and children throughout the United States.

This former syndicated math columnist and statistics researcher for Sports Illustrated for Kids has consistently issued warnings about our individual or collective misuse or misunderstanding of all things mathematical.

On Wednesday, June 22, Baron will present two "Go Figure: Making Numbers Count" programs at the Cary Area Public Library, 1606 Three Oaks Road in Cary. The first program, from 5-6 p.m. for ages 7-14, is already full, with a waiting list. But there are still a number of openings in the adult program from 7 to 8 p.m.

Registration is required at www.caryarealibrary.info or by calling (847) 639-4210 during regular library hours.

While the kids will learn about things like how to figure out the day of the week going back hundreds of years, the adults will have the opportunity to participate in "Golympics," a game that he developed in 2001. It usually gets the most positive response, and builds on principles that are covered earlier in the session.

Baron wants to help raise everyone's confidence and competence in handling numbers. " … numbers are here to stay," he says. "There is a staggering volume of numbers thrown at us every day, in the news, on social media and elsewhere. It's easy to become intimidated, confused, overwhelmed … But it doesn't have to be this way. To be able to sift through all this data, and distinguish between the significant and the trivial, to discern the factual from the fictional - this is a vital life skill that has a direct impact on so many areas of life."