Danica McKellar makes math sexy

Architect: It’s easy to go about our daily lives, moving in and out of houses and buildings without imagining how they were actually built. But, when you think about it, it’s pretty amazing! The Empire State Building, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco are all astounding, but consider the Seven Wonders of the World: Each is the product of an architect — many architects, and, in some cases, generations of architects. If only all of us could visit the pyramids, the Taj Mahal, or the Great Wall of China, we might have a better appreciation for architecture. It’s truly a remarkable art form, but remember that architecture is a science, as well. According to New York City architect Michelle Drollette: “To be a successful architect, one needs to be both creative and methodical at the same time. Developers (the people who hire us) have complex pricing models that use square footage (as well as other criteria) to estimate how much profit will be made once they sell the building they’re asking us to design. So, we often face the task of designing a space within a narrow square footage requirement while thinking outside the box to create visually interesting spaces. Fulfilling this requirement while we’re designing can be like doing an algebra problem with square footage, and a puzzle that depends on creative input, all at the same time!”

Fashion designer: Do you pore over the latest issue of Vogue as soon as it reaches your doorstep? And, besides fantasizing about wearing the clothes you see inside, do you imagine yourself actually designing them? If so, maybe being a fashion designer is your true calling. According to couture designer Jessica Wade of JesWade design: “Fashion designers need to know math for lots of reasons. If [a designer] creates her own designs, then she needs to understand geometry and math for manipulating fabric shapes and matching each seam: Flat planes of material must become three-dimensional masterpieces! And each final design has to be fitted, which means additional measurements and proportions when making clothing for all the different sizes. Finally, fashion is a business, like anything else: A designer needs to budget the cost of clothing materials and be able to analyze sales reports to see how her clothing is selling!”

Gourmet chef: Behind any great dining experience, there is a great chef! With waiters rushing in and out, steaming pots on every burner, and cooks scrambling to get each order in on time, the kitchen makes up the nerve center of the restaurant. And, as chef, you run the whole show! Maybe you create your own delicious recipes too — rare entrees, special sauces, or even those elegant desserts they roll out on carts for the customers to drool over! According to chic, four-star, New York City restaurant Le Bernardin chef Stacia Woodrich: “To be successful in a professional kitchen, a chef must understand fractions and proportions in order to adjust recipes for the specific number of people we are catering to.” Yep, fractions and proportions are helpful in the kitchen, whether you’re adjusting a cookie recipe at home for friends or serving large groups of people in a swanky French restaurant.

Film producer: Are you a huge film buff? Ever wonder what some of your favorite movies look like from behind the scenes? Well, you can be sure there’s a lot more going on than what you see on the screen! Film producers, for example, are part of the movie even before the actors and actresses are, and yes, they are in charge of the financial aspects of a film. According to Hollywood film producer Kim Zubick: “Film producers use tons of math: from estimating costs and meeting studios’ budget requirements to get the green light, to negotiating salary rates (which can also involve percentages of profits) and the schedules and budgets themselves (often involving ratios and algebra). Film budgets are truly math puzzles that keep evolving while we shoot the movie. It’s the producer’s job to keep the movie on budget, or the movie might never make it to the big screen!”

Video   ‘Wonder Years’ star knows her math Dec. 17: Danica McKellar, who played Winnie Cooper on the hit 1980s show “The Wonder Years,” discusses her latest book aimed at helping girls succeed in math. Today show

Doctor: To be a doctor is not only an enormous accomplishment, it is probably one of the most admirable professions there is. As a doctor, maybe you’ll perform lifesaving surgery on a sick patient or travel to third-world countries to give much-needed medical care. You might experience the thrill of delivering a baby or helping an accident victim walk again. According to fabulous New York OBGYN Dr. Laura Meyer: “Several mathematics courses were required in college. And now I use math almost every day, whether I’m calculating a medication dose based on a patient’s body weight or plugging lab values into an equation to evaluate a patient’s kidney function.” She also says, “One of the most exciting parts of my job is delivering babies!”

Boutique owner: What’s great about an independent boutique is that most of the clothing and accessories shoppers find there are unique. They don’t necessarily follow all the current trends. Are you the type of girl who chooses your wardrobe based on your own individual style? Maybe you’d be interested in opening your own small store where all the items are personally selected by you. According to Even Newhart, owner of chic Los Angeles boutique Wicati: “Math is just as important to my success as fashion sense! Owning a boutique is all about the numbers — how much to order, how much to spend, how much to mark down, how much to project for the future, and more. I love owning a boutique clothing store, and believe me, math keeps the doors open.”

Photographer: How many times have you said to yourself, “If only I had my camera with me right now”? Well, it is the job of the photographer to always be ready to capture that amazing sunset over the water, or to document the events of a war, a protest, a rally, or even the daily lives of people most of us will never meet and places we will never see. Each photographer has a unique perspective on the world and, in pictures, allows us to see and feel what he or she does. According to Los Angeles-based professional photographer Cathryn Farnsworth: “Photography is mostly creative, but we do use math, too. For example, the intensity of light on a subject decreases proportionally to the square of the distance between the light and the subject. In other words, if a subject is moved 3 times closer to the light, the subject will look 9 times as bright!”

Excerpted from “Kiss My Math” by Danica McKellar. Copyright (c) 2008, reprinted with permission from Hudson Street Press, a division of Penguin Group.

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