Magic numbers - an interactive exhibition about the world of numbers

The exhibition "Diamo i numeri!" in Ascona highlights among other things the role of mathematics in games such as black jack or roulette. Led by Antonietta Mira, professor of statistics at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), the project was co-financed by the SNSF scheme Agora, which promotes knowledge transfer and public dialogue.

From probability calculations to
statistics and simulations: by referring to games and magic, the exhibition
"Diamo i numeri" links everyday mathematics with the history of
humanity and invites us to rediscover the world of numbers with all our senses.
The interactive exhibition is targeted at primary and secondary school students
and deals with the enormous amounts of data with which we are confronted daily.
The project makes references to games and stories as a means of encouraging
young adults to take an interest in numbers - but there is plenty of
information for adults too. Among other things, visitors will learn about the
trick used by students of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who
were able to win over three million Dollars playing black jack.

The project is the result of a
collaboration between Antonietta Mira, professor of statistics at the
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) and Ideatorio, the idea lab of the
USI, which was in charge of the exhibition design and organisation. Further
advice was provided by the Società matematica ticinese (SMASI) and various
local players.