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"Before zero was a part of mathematics, we didn’t have a need to quantify nothing."
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Talithia Williams"It doesn’t matter that I’m telling you to eat better because food isn’t within a 50-mile radius of you … [care providers] are not able to help with the issue. They see the problem, they recognize it, but what can the physician do to actually address that problem? They’re not empowered to address it."
Talithia D. Williams is an American Statistician. She also serves as a Mathematician Professor and Mathematics Clinic Director at Harvey Mudd College, who researches the spatiotemporal structure of data. Williams was the first African American Woman to achieve tenure at Harvey Mudd College. She is an advocate for engaging more African Americans in engineering and science fields.
"Before zero was a part of mathematics, we didn’t have a need to quantify nothing."
"Zero aided the evolution of mathematics into a language capable of grappling with tough questions— such as, what is less than zero?"
"By giving ourselves permission to sit and ponder about nothingness and to give it structure, to give it a value—we also give ourselves permission as a society to think about hard things and complex things."
"The needs of patients cannot be met by their doctors alone."
"85% of physicians report that unmet social needs lead to poor health outcomes, But only 20% are confident in their ability to address those needs."