Anyone good at math?

[PCeBiker]

"Then our teacher relented and asked,..
"Is there any other mistakes?" "

Ummm, that should be "Are there any other mistakes?" But my mama was an English professor .

I'm sure that my teacher used proper English.
It was me that sucked at English.

(Or was It I that sucked at English?
Me, myself and I suck at English.)

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Jeremy, it is interesting that you see a lack of interest in STEM, whereas, coming from the social sciences and liberal arts, I bemoan the lack of interest and support for those fields as STEM is seen as the only way to a decent salary.

Governent support for education is an important side of this, to be sure. But I was talking about student interest and STEM literacy in the general population.

Not talking about higher math or rocket science here. A widespread grasp of beginner algebra would help. Algebra isn't just about numbers. It's also a useful way of thinking about the world in general. Ditto for basic science.

As you said before, math teaches logical thinking. Also careful evidence-based thinking. That involves tracking what you do and don't know through a problem and sticking with what you know. Science education does the same, but with more focus on what counts as evidence. And on how understanding should evolve as new evidence emerges.

These are very important skills in today's complex world. They need to be taught somewhere in a democracy. Otherwise we're left with a lot of gullible voters who might be swayed into voting their democracy away.

 

[PedalUma]

What size jar would you need to hold a Quadrillion jelly beans?

In a blackhole? Or at the speed of light?

I agree with @ChezCheese:). Reading novels everyday puts me in the minds of all types of other people. That has helped me to develop ''Theory of Mind'. It is something lacking and in demand in the Silicon Valley with interfaces and with product design. It helps me to create custom bikes for people who most likely do not talk bike speak. I also do art. I have been asked to be part of a twelve-week Artist's seminar that starts in two days. My dad was a research scientist and my mom an artist. I like the two together to achieve something beautiful, user friendly, and functional.

 

[PedalUma]

Currently there is a war on science. Who needs climate data when it conflicts with idology? The same with research institutions such as the Smithsonian and Harvard.

 

[Chargeride]

Plumbing isnt low paid, I earned more doing that than being in charge of installing and coding telephone exchanges.

When they say they need more plumbers, they mean low paid migrant plumbers

 

[Chargeride]

Being taught math or maths as we call it, isnt about learning anything particularly useful once you go past the basics.
No one is working out anything beyond ballpark in their head anymore.
Its about proving your ability to comprehend the application, to be able to hold all the pieces together in your 'ram', most of it is nothing but puzzles with learned rules.

You can literaly point your phone at really high end equations covering multiple variables, get the answer with a breakdown of each step.

Just writing this and posting it used more calculations than written by all the students this century.

Theres 14 billion transistors in an iphone chip, they are not being designed by people using math.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

You can literaly point your phone at really high end equations covering multiple variables, get the answer with a breakdown of each step.

If you're thinking about products like Photomath, your definition of "really high end" equations is different than mine. Very different.

Can't solve those with any phone app. Those equations date from 1865. Given that B (and I think J) are vector fields and the upside-down triangle thing is an operator on vector fields (curl and divergence) I am pretty sure most folks didn't cover them in math class.

Path integrals always made my head explode:

 

[Chargeride]

You can actually just upload an image into google.
Im a simple man, I think a physical representation of equations would encourage interest, one with turnable knobs and analog displays

You turn up this bit and the result changes, E is this, and watch X change its climb rate as you alter Z.
Maybe they do, or maybe thats too blue collar.