Counted Out – Screening & Discussion with ADW-PAL Jordan Ellenberg
Counted Out investigates the biggest crises of our time through an unexpected lens: math.
In our current information economy, math is everywhere. The people we date, the news we see, the influence of our votes, the candidates who win elections, the education we have access to, the jobs we get—all of it is underwritten by an invisible layer of math that few of us understand or even notice.
But whether we know it or not, our numeric literacy—whether we can speak the language of math—is a critical determinant of social and economic power.
Through a mosaic of personal stories, expert interviews, and scenes of math transformation in action, Counted Out shows what’s at risk if we keep the status quo. Do we want an America in which most of us don’t consider ourselves “math people”? Where math proficiency goes down as students grow up? Or do we want a country where everyone can understand the math that undergirds our society—and can help shape it?
Join us for a screening and discussion about the power of math with Jordan Ellenberg, a renowned mathematician, professor, and A.D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell, and Steven Strogatz, the Susan and Barton Winokur Distinguished Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Mathematics.
Free admission and free popcorn! Sponsored by the A.D. White Professor-at-Large Program at Cornell.
About the speakers
Jordan Ellenberg is a renowned mathematician, author, and professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, widely recognized for his contributions to number theory, algebraic geometry, and arithmetic geometry, as well as his exceptional ability to make complex mathematical concepts accessible to broad audiences.
Ellenberg has written extensively for major publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired. He previously penned the “Do the Math” column for Slate, blending rigorous math with engaging commentary on everyday issues. A child prodigy, Ellenberg competed for the U.S. in the International Mathematical Olympiad, winning multiple gold medals.
Ellenberg served as a math consultant and made a cameo in Gifted (2017), a film centered on a young math prodigy starring actor Chris Evans. He also made a cameo in Counted Out (2024), a documentary exploring the role of math in democracy and voting systems. He has made media appearances on NBC’s The Today Show and NPR’s All Things Considered.
Ellenberg currently serves as the John D. MacArthur Professor and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He received an A.B. in Mathematics from Harvard University (1993); MFA in Creative Writing from John Hopkins University (1996); and Ph.D. in Mathematics from Harvard University (1998).
Steven Strogatz is the Susan and Barton Winokur Distinguished Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Mathematics at Cornell University. After graduating summa cum laude in mathematics from Princeton in 1980, Strogatz was a Marshall Scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge. He then did his doctoral work in applied mathematics at Harvard, followed by a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard and Boston University. From 1989 to 1994, Strogatz taught in the Department of Mathematics at MIT. He joined the Cornell faculty in 1994 and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2024.
Strogatz is an applied mathematician who works in the areas of nonlinear dynamics and complex systems, often on topics inspired by the curiosities of everyday life. He loves finding math in places where you’d least expect it—and then using it to illuminate life’s mysteries, big and small. For example: Why is it so hard to fall asleep a few hours before your regular bedtime? When you start chatting with a stranger on a plane, why is it so common to find that you have a mutual acquaintance? What can twisting a rubber band teach us about our DNA? An award-winning researcher, teacher, and communicator, Strogatz enjoys sharing the beauty of math through his numerous books, essays, public lectures, podcasts, and radio and television appearances.
Part of our "Campus Collaborations" series. Courtesy of Reel Link Films.