Are you frustrated with the “Common Core” approach to math? If your school, like a number here in Cairo (or wherever you’re reading this outside the US of A) is moving to the US “Common Core” approach to teaching math, take the time to read this piece. We promise it will change how you view the shift. Bonus for nerds: The piece also covers the Next Generation Science Standards, though in far less detail than Common Core. The bottom line: Kids won’t be asking anymore “When are we ever going to use this in real life?” because Common Core is all about real-life application of math. The story is from Quanta magazine, whose reporting in science is amazing — and often syndicated to Scientific American, Wired and The Atlantic.

And speaking of Wired: Barack Obama “guest edited” this month’s issue of the magazine. He apparently thinks it’s a pretty cool time to be alive.