homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Weapons of math destruction: plane delayed because university professor was writing equations

No matter how bad you are at math, you should be able to recognize an equation when you see it, right? Well, that wasn’t the case for a passenger on the plane from Philadelphia to Ontario. This passenger saw a saw a man “suspiciously” writing down a complicated looking formula on a piece of paper and notified […]

Alexandra Gerea
May 10, 2016 @ 11:29 am

share Share

No matter how bad you are at math, you should be able to recognize an equation when you see it, right? Well, that wasn’t the case for a passenger on the plane from Philadelphia to Ontario. This passenger saw a saw a man “suspiciously” writing down a complicated looking formula on a piece of paper and notified cabin crew.  She then said she was feeling ill, causing the plane to be turned around, and then the man was brought in for questioning. The thing is, the man was Guido Menzio, an Italian-born associate professor in Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, who was simply going through some equations for his upcoming lecture.

It almost sounds too bizarre to be true. Firstly, the passenger (his seat neighbor) thought Menzio looks suspicious, just because he happens to be slightly tanned, dark-haired, bearded and with a foreign accent – things you’d expect from an Italian man after all. Then, she noticed that he was writing “something strange,” cryptic notes in a language she did not understand. But this is where it gets even eerier. She didn’t say anything to the cabin crew, instead preferring to pose ill. The protocol in this case is very strict: the plane must be returned.

But when the plane returned, instead of medical assistance, the woman sought security assistance. Menzio told the Associated Press:

“I thought they were trying to get clues about her illness. Instead, they tell me that the woman was concerned that I was a terrorist because I was writing strange things on a pad of paper.”

His scribbling was actually a differential equation he was preparing for a lecture on Search Theory in Canada, where he was headed. He says he was treated with respect by security, but on Facebook he recalls this bizarre experience:

“The passenger sitting next to me calls the stewardess, passes her a note.” He was then “met by some FBI looking man-in-black”.

“They ask me about my neighbor,” he wrote. “I tell them I noticed nothing strange. They tell me she thought I was a terrorist because I was writing strange things on a pad of paper. I laugh. I bring them back to the plane. I showed them my math.”

After a two-hour questioning, Menzio returned to the plane, but the fact that a system can be so easily perturbed by someone so clueless is disturbing.

share Share

China Resurrected an Abandoned Soviet 'Sea Monster' That's Part Airplane, Part Hovercraft

The Soviet Union's wildest aircraft just got a second life in China.

A Rocket Carried Cannabis Seeds and 166 Human Remains into Space But Their Capsule Never Made It Back

The spacecraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean after a parachute failure, ending a bold experiment in space biology and memorial spaceflight.

Ancient ‘Zombie’ Fungus Trapped in Amber Shows Mind Control Began in the Age of the Dinosaurs

The zombie fungus from the age of the dinosaurs.

Your browser lets websites track you even without cookies

Most users don't even know this type of surveillance exists.

What's Seasonal Body Image Dissatisfaction and How Not to Fall into Its Trap

This season doesn’t have to be about comparison or self-criticism.

Why a 20-Minute Nap Could Be Key to Unlocking 'Eureka!' Moments Like Salvador Dalí

A 20-minute nap can boost your chances of a creative breakthrough, according to new research.

The world's oldest boomerang is even older than we thought, but it's not Australian

The story of the boomerang goes back in time even more.

Swarms of tiny robots could go up your nose, melt the mucus and clean your sinuses

The "search-and-destroy” microrobot system can chemically shred the resident bacterial biofilm.

What if Every Roadkill Had a Memorial?

Road ecology, the scientific study of how road networks impact ecosystems, presents a perfect opportunity for community science projects.

Fireball Passes Over Southeastern United States

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… a bolide!