The Math wall.....

[toobfreak]

Lots of people out there cannot even break down an inch. Ask them to point out where is 10/16 or what’s another way of saying 6/8. You’d be shocked.

Another shocker is if you tell them a big circle has 360 degrees and a tiny circle has the same 360 degrees. They look at you as if you are speaking a foreign language.

No wonder we are in trouble.

 

[drudge X]

No wonder we are in trouble.

Yes. This country is in big trouble if this trend continues.

PISA Scores by Country 2026

Comparison on national scores on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which measures students' skills in math, science, and reading.

worldpopulationreview.com

 

[toobfreak]

I think I'll pass on hiring that contractor.

You mean you might want to hire him? The Egyptians built the pyramids and to within a tiny fraction of a degree of true north and almost dead on balls level, all without a calculator or any trig.

In ancient times, someone estimated the diameter of the Earth (closely!) with nothing but a stick and a shadow. No fuzzy math, no computer engines. Pure brain power.

 

[justoffal]

You mean you might want to hire him? The Egyptians built the pyramids and to within a tiny fraction of a degree of true north and almost dead on balls level, all without a calculator or any trig.

In ancient times, someone estimated the diameter of the Earth (closely!) with nothing but a stick and a shadow. No fuzzy math, no computer engines. Pure brain power.

Unfortunately the skill levels obtained by the ancient engineers are probably a lost at this point.
I'm quite sure there was some intricate calculating taking place in order to guarantee a uniform structure throughout the massive construct of a pyramid.

 

[Winco]

Wow! Real brain buster there. Can't build a house without simple trig.

Even the scarecrow on Oz knew the Pythagorean formula...

And his head was full of straw.

Scary thing is that it really is just simple arithmetic, a few radicals, not even algebra really.

The scarecrow was incorrect.
Go watch it and fix his error.

Lol.....OMG..... I completely forgot about the scarecrow line in The wizard of Oz.

 

[MarathonMike]

Very basic. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division.....

We do a lot of area measurements and figuring for component sizes.

For instance what is the diameter of the safety valve that has 85 square inches of surface?

The standard shop math for this would be:

A = .7854D²

85 = .7854D²

A little basic algebra:

85/.7854 = D²

108.225 = D²

Sqrt 108.225 (10.403) = D

I would have used the good old formula:

Area = 3.14159(Pi) x Radius squared.

sq_rt(85/Pi) = 5.2. R times 2 = D = 10.4. Do I get the job?

 

[justoffal]

I would have used the good old formula:

Area = 3.14159(Pi) x Radius squared.

sq_rt(85/Pi) = 5.2. R times 2 = D = 10.4. Do I get the job?

Yes you do!!

 

[frigidweirdo]

My job is very math intense. Nothing fancy mostly just your four basic operations.... A lot of number rooting and exponents...

You simply cannot do my job unless you have these skills. My company is currently grossly understaffed and begging for employees.... There are stacks of applications on the desk of the human resources manager who has the unenviable job of sorting them out and sending them off to the testing institute in town to see if they can pass the basic skill tests.

In the past 6 months it's been a 100% failure rate due to the math section of the test.

I hear they're thinking about lowering the standards which I hope they do not. There are some decisions that I have to make based on calculations that could actually be dangerous if they're done wrong.

I suspect this particular problem is widespread in the hiring process right now.

Jo

The Chinese, Koreans, Japanese make kids learn loads of math. It can be an important skill. What they need to do is figure out who can, and then get them doing higher level math, while the others don't bother.

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

You mean you might want to hire him? The Egyptians built the pyramids and to within a tiny fraction of a degree of true north and almost dead on balls level, all without a calculator or any trig.

In ancient times, someone estimated the diameter of the Earth (closely!) with nothing but a stick and a shadow. No fuzzy math, no computer engines. Pure brain power.

They used a plumb bob square

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Math is racist

Math Lessons Are Racist, <br>as per the Gates Foundation

Left-leaning math instructors have bought into the ridiculous ideology that “rigid” (and practical) math instruction is “white supremacist” and has been set up to “oppress” minorities. Since practically everything is “racist” now, including drinking milk and asking your students to speak proper...

capitalresearch.org

The entire idea that there is a right answer is rooted in white supremacy.

Is the way math taught in schools really rooted in white supremacy?

WASHINGTON (SBG) - There's been a long-standing debate about whether there is structural racism in education, from college admission testing to school funding. But, some educators are taking it a step further, saying the way math is taught is rooted in white supremacy. Back in February, the...

komonews.com

As long as this is being taught having an educated people is not possible.

 

[JWBooth]

My job is very math intense. Nothing fancy mostly just your four basic operations.... A lot of number rooting and exponents...

You simply cannot do my job unless you have these skills. My company is currently grossly understaffed and begging for employees.... There are stacks of applications on the desk of the human resources manager who has the unenviable job of sorting them out and sending them off to the testing institute in town to see if they can pass the basic skill tests.

In the past 6 months it's been a 100% failure rate due to the math section of the test.

I hear they're thinking about lowering the standards which I hope they do not. There are some decisions that I have to make based on calculations that could actually be dangerous if they're done wrong.

I suspect this particular problem is widespread in the hiring process right now.

Jo

Back when my boy was in school he did ok with math, up to a point.
He got to algebra. Now it had been a good thirty years since I did algebra in school, but I had used it over the years and had no issue with helping him with it.
He became very frustrated. I'd help him with his homework to solve equations and get the correct answers. His papers would be graded with all the correct answers being marked wrong because the methods of solution weren't the nonsense that the lesson plan required. Their methods were very round about and unnecessarily complicated.
We got Kahn Academy to help tutor. He was able to master what it and I taught him yet maintained a solid D because of the intransigence of the teacher and school system.
He didn't even try higher level math after that.
So, he went off to trade school, he is a welder. Following the welding training he stuck around for pipe fitting. Lots of geometry. Because they taught a practical approach he not only grasped it, but he shone.

Long way around to the point. Modern education is cheating a lot of bright people out of opportunity to learn with it's nonsense.

 

[Unkotare]

But money is legal tender! It is the most basic legal tender.

Legal tender BEGINS with cash.
...

It's getting to be a problem if you run into someplace that only accepts cash. Any time I ever get ahold of any amount of cash, it goes directly to the wife.

 

[Unkotare]

...

If I went somewhere and they refused my cash (my payment), I would walk away with the item.
...

And you would be arrested.

 

[Unkotare]

...
We got Kahn Academy to help tutor....

Kumon is also good.

 

[hadit]

The original blame for the change thing belongs to cheap calculators. It's why Engineers also don't know how to use a slide rule anymore (I went to college in the 90's, they had been phased out by then)

I'm old enough that we were forbidden to use calculators in math class. We were expected to know basic stuff.

 

[JWBooth]

I'm old enough that we were forbidden to use calculators in math class. We were expected to know basic stuff.

Me too.

 

[hadit]

And you would be arrested.

Depends what state you're in at the time. Some states have laws requiring vendors to accept legal tender.

 

[justoffal]

I would have used the good old formula:

Area = 3.14159(Pi) x Radius squared.

sq_rt(85/Pi) = 5.2. R times 2 = D = 10.4. Do I get the job?

Yes you do!!

The Chinese, Koreans, Japanese make kids learn loads of math. It can be an important skill. What they need to do is figure out who can, and then get them doing higher level math, while the others don't bother.

In China you don't do your math homework you go to bed without supper.

 

[martybegan]

I'm old enough that we were forbidden to use calculators in math class. We were expected to know basic stuff.

In calculus class most calculators won't help you, it's mostly integration, derivatives and proofs.

Once you get that done, all the calculator does is speed up the arithmetic.

 

[Unkotare]

Depends what state you're in at the time. Some states have laws requiring vendors to accept legal tender.

One would hope all states do, but stealing is stealing.