For some time, mathematical thought has reached results which are unthinkable for not specialists and has opened a way that constituted the main road for the cultural, scientific and economic development of human society. Such is the importance of Mathematics as universal language in youth education, for the development of rational thinking, that For some time, mathematical thought has reached results which are unthinkable for not specialists and has opened a way that constituted the main road for the cultural, scientific and economic development of human society. Such is the importance of Mathematics as universal language in youth education, for the development of rational thinking, that UNESCO has supported the proposal of the International Mathematics Union to declare 2000 as the World Year of Mathematics.

But only few people are aware of it. Rather, today the image of Mathematics is increasingly overshadowed by prejudices and commonplaces that have taken root in the collective imaginary.

There are a lot of reasons for that and it’s not easy to contrast them, also because many people, among whom several mathematicians, think that it’s impossible to popularize Mathematics.

The video we present here is an attempt in this direction. It applies to all people and it doesn’t worry to explain the latest results, but, using Tangram play as a metaphor, it aims to sap the main commonplaces about Mathematics and to explain aspects that have always characterized its development.

The video "What are we playing: Tangram or Math?" has been presented during many lectures and it has been used in primary and secondary schools, deepening its contents on different levels.