Math is impersonal and unforgiving, which is why most people instinctively dislike it, and distrust anyone who’s actually good at it.
Math forces you to think unemotionally and logically – which many people would literally rather die than do – and you’re either right, or totally wrong. Math gives no gold stars for being a nice guy, or trying really hard, or getting the right answer for the wrong reasons. Math doesn’t care.
It doesn’t have to: it’s the language of the universe, the language of objective reality. Hate it if you have to, but respect it, and ignore it at your own risk.
My first major in college was math. A’s. Now, 35 years later, my 35 year old daughter shows me her textbook for her college courses. All the symbols are changed. It’s like taking an English Lit. course in Russian.
@okthen—Who wrote the programs for the computers back when computers were so big you could walk into them? I’ll tell you. Mathematicians , that’s who. My husband was one of them. Wrote programs to fire missiles from submarines to protect the US from our enemies in the ‘50 and ’60s.
I always preferred math to English. No mistaking when you are right, nor when you are wrong. The rules don’t change from formula to formula the way they do for spelling words.
I can remember when I learned how to make multiplication tables. Those fascinated me so much that I spent hours building them just for fun.
I got along fine with and was even excited about addition and subtraction, even multplication. But before we could get to division, they changed the class, gave us little boxes of plastic rectangles and started teaching about sets and subsets. I have floundered in math ever since. It’s pitiful that my HS algebra teacher remembered me at my 25th reunion for the struggle we both had with my math skills.
carmy over 14 years ago
I wonder what movie he’s panning.
GROG Premium Member over 14 years ago
Joe, the Math critic.
COWBOY7 over 14 years ago
The stall tactic is working so far. I’m sure Dad will catch on shortly!
lightenup Premium Member over 14 years ago
That’s not what he means by reviewing, Joe. In this case, it means going over a subject, not critiquing.
celeconecca over 14 years ago
This is how I viewed math in school, too.
lewisbower over 14 years ago
Math is negative
peter0423 over 14 years ago
Math is impersonal and unforgiving, which is why most people instinctively dislike it, and distrust anyone who’s actually good at it.
Math forces you to think unemotionally and logically – which many people would literally rather die than do – and you’re either right, or totally wrong. Math gives no gold stars for being a nice guy, or trying really hard, or getting the right answer for the wrong reasons. Math doesn’t care.
It doesn’t have to: it’s the language of the universe, the language of objective reality. Hate it if you have to, but respect it, and ignore it at your own risk.
okaythen over 14 years ago
Who needs to learn Math anyhow, Everything is done on computer
freeholder1 over 14 years ago
Roger Ebert: The Early Years.
peter0423 over 14 years ago
okaythen said, 4 minutes ago
Who needs to learn Math anyhow, Everything is done on computer
Yeah, that’s what the derivatives traders on Wall Street thought too. “To err is human, to really screw the pooch takes a computer.”
ninmas over 14 years ago
math K-5 is easy and fun. 6 + is impossible!
WaitingMan over 14 years ago
Differential equations rule!
pawpawbear over 14 years ago
My first major in college was math. A’s. Now, 35 years later, my 35 year old daughter shows me her textbook for her college courses. All the symbols are changed. It’s like taking an English Lit. course in Russian.
Mythreesons over 14 years ago
@okthen—Who wrote the programs for the computers back when computers were so big you could walk into them? I’ll tell you. Mathematicians , that’s who. My husband was one of them. Wrote programs to fire missiles from submarines to protect the US from our enemies in the ‘50 and ’60s.
1148559 over 14 years ago
I always preferred math to English. No mistaking when you are right, nor when you are wrong. The rules don’t change from formula to formula the way they do for spelling words.
I can remember when I learned how to make multiplication tables. Those fascinated me so much that I spent hours building them just for fun.
celeconecca over 14 years ago
I got along fine with and was even excited about addition and subtraction, even multplication. But before we could get to division, they changed the class, gave us little boxes of plastic rectangles and started teaching about sets and subsets. I have floundered in math ever since. It’s pitiful that my HS algebra teacher remembered me at my 25th reunion for the struggle we both had with my math skills.
Destiny23 over 14 years ago
I wouldn’t let Ebert see you doing that, Joe – he’s fanatical about protecting his Trademark.