April is Mathematics Awareness Month (MAM), and the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics (JPBM) has selected “The Future of Prediction” as the theme.

Yogi Berra, paraphrasing Niels Bohr, said, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” Throughout Mathematics Awareness Month 2016, we will explore how mathematics and statistics are the future of prediction, providing insights and driving innovation. During the month, we will be asking the question, “What’s next?” and exploring how mathematicians and statisticians contribute to society.

Effective prediction is essential to improving medicine; monitoring climate; providing sufficient, safe food supplies; and much more. Mathematics and statistics provide fundamental tools to see and shape the road ahead. The JPBM’s goal for MAM 2016 is to encourage students to study mathematics and statistics, explore career opportunities, and investigate how mathematics and statistics provide the tools to make accurate predictions possible.

In addition to a MAM poster, the website hosts a number of resources for this year’s observance—including articles and essays—to show how mathematics and statistics make prediction possible and highlight the exciting work mathematicians and statisticians are doing.

Activities for Mathematics Awareness Month will be organized on local, state, and regional levels by schools, college and university departments, student groups, and other interest groups. Individuals and organizations may contact Donna LaLonde at DonnaL@amstat.org for more information about participating.

Mathematics Awareness Month, held each year in April and sponsored by the JPBM, was established by presidential proclamation in 1986 to increase public understanding of and appreciation for mathematics. The JPBM is a collaborative effort of the American Mathematical Society, American Statistical Association, Mathematical Association of America, and Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

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