Forum Post: Algebra Sucks
Posted 11 years ago on Jan. 26, 2013, 2:08 a.m. EST by peacehurricane
(293)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Algebra is something made up and unnecessary. This ideal was created to attack the imagination and hinder its function. The mathematical info of formulas etc. all existed before algebra. Most people I know who quit school did so to not take that class. I believe it has impact on creativity or lack there of. Why is it now mandatory for all classes in college. People get quite defensive about it too and yet they have no explanation as to the actual benefits or necessary aspects of learning it.
What? you are anti-knowledge? That seems counter productive,.
Math is just formal logic,. . made up? perhaps,. but true and existent without being formalized,. it just is, like water,. or stars. May as well argue against matter!
I was much better at calculus and geometry and trig because they were less abstract than algebra ( to me anyway). However, I use algebra almost every day whether I'm solving for an unknown variable or I'm calculating how much material I might need to cover a greenhouse. I've used algebra in cooking as well. I remember reading that the drop out rate in HS was mostly due to the algebra requirement but even I had to take algebra in the olden days so I'm not sure if it's algebra or some other reason. Math teachers are not always great instructors to those of us that are maths illiterate. I always needed more understanding in terms of practical application and not all math teachers are willing to provide that. The reason that some math instructors get defensive is because they are deficient in communication skills.
Might have been your age and the abstract nature of the subject. Algebra was taught in ninth grade in my state. I found it difficult at 14, so did my children. Let's face it at that age there is a lot our brain isn't quite ready for.
Hi, Haven't been reading email or forum messages for a week. Think there are some lessons. I do better with communications in forums since I don't have much family. But... It is a break and let's your mind unwind and relax ... if you don't have all the media input, tv input, cable input, radio input, and other....
My spirit is happy to see how you are sending great info and personal dicussions in this forum.
You have inspired me again. Maybe I need to work with you for a week or two and absorb your intelligence and training about Greenhouses....
I was just reading this thread below, i guess. Hey, take care, OK.
Working for me? Sounds like a plan M. I would love to be a CEO instead of the usual slave. I'll even provide company uniform consisting of loin cloth, placard and pillei. hahahhaha
Many of us don't want to think for a while. I'm lucky. I don't have the debt or many bills to steal my soul.... I'd bring a sleeping bag, a foam pad, and some clothes. Hopefully I'd have boots or whatever to work outside...
Oh, and I don't go psycho if neibors provoke me, harrass you, or abuse you....
And I'd be willing to buy some firewood and produce... Not sure about sleeping in a tent outside in winter based on your weather there... But European courtesy would seem to earn me a place inside the servants quarters.... lol. Anyway, working on your Greenhouse might prepare me for real transition to sustainable living....
Ok, I'll throw in a pair of boots too.. but I must warn, you'll have a farmers tan in no time. I hope you don't mind white feet and ankles. hahaha
I was in a wedding once and I had the worst farmer's tan ever that year as I tend to tan very easily and end up looking like a coffee bean. I tried rubbing in some of that instant tan stuff but it looked even worse so I had to wear a full length gown to cover my tan lines.
well, little steps for little feet... I dont have much confidence in my skills but start with short term expectations....
I actually used to be strong with a shovel... I was a skilled little boy, but society threw it all aside and made me an office worker. I'd bring boots... not a problem. My body is good enough for light work with some recovery time. I have strong shoulders and legs. Could help a lot,,,
And I need to learn so much... I dont have confidence in agriculture.
M, Growing is really quite a spiritual experience as much a physical exercise. Our bodies gradually build up to the demands of the work through the season and then we get a break. It's really the most natural way for humans to live. There's nothing like tending the earth. Really! Feeling the earth's dirt that's been around for millions of years, fortifying it, watching the first blossoms open, finding the first fruit. It's like raising kids I suppose! It's spiritual work of the soul. You are one with nature, one with the air, the water, the earth and nothing else matters really. When you can sit down for dinner and enjoy the fruits of your labor, it's even more satisfying and I can't speak for others but I feel much much happier and healthier when I eat my own harvest.
It's not mindless at all, it's very exhilarating and exhausting in a good way. It feels so good to go to bed from physical fatigue, not emotional or mental fatigue, you know what I mean?
No one has confidence in agriculture...hahahha the farmer must have " Faith in Potatoes". Ever seen that movie? Growing is very satisfying but it can also be very stressful when mother nature doesn't cooperate. I think it was two or three summers ago when a heatwave hit this area in May and didn't end until October. Every single day was 100 deg or above and not a single drop of rain. It's very humbling. I remember walking across the toasted grass, listening to it crunch. I felt so horrible for the baby birds inside their house in the blazing sun that I decided to put my asian kayaking hat on top of their house for shade. It was so damn hot the hat melted/shrunk! It's in those times that we must find ways to adapt. I used to get up at midnight and water my garden all night long and then sleep during the heat of the day. I also harvest at night too and use headlamps. I believe it's much more kind to harvest at night when the plant is not stressing so much. That's just my thought and probably has no real science behind it. Pests have become more of a nuisance too due to the longer seasons and less frigid winters. I had a heck of a time this past spring with earwigs. My compost pile also became a haven for the figeater beetle that devoured most of my figs. I can't get angry about such threats though. I was telling Renneye that I really think the animals detect our animosity toward them and will respond with more aggression, so I really don't fret over these things like some people do. I love eating peas as much as the rabbits do and I love watching them enjoying themselves probably as much or more than I love my peas.
You sound like a character. Might be fun to see you heading outside at night to harvest vegis with your headlamp....
Yeah, life is funny. If you catch a fish that you don't want to eat, but you know it is going to die... you don't have to feel bad. Where I have fished there is so much life around, the fish will be eaten by something. I even saw a guy that would try to get the pelicans to come eat his trash fish. But I noticed I ate the fish they would chuck and they were just fine. Other guys would come and hang out, take all the fish they could, and would smoke 'em or BBQ 'em at home.
I suppose it is a lot better not to stress out about losing your crops or having them get eaten. Seems more orderly to have a green house that can keep out some of the animals and control some of the weather. Sounds like you could get branches crashing down on your greenhouse or wind damage to it.... Hopefully you can keep the repair costs down to simple pieces. Then you can feed some of your carrots & peas to the rabbits in person or separately.
Good comment - algebra a bridge to other math - but also practical if you would like to figure square feet or square inches or ............ cubic or .....
Hi DK, I haven't been around much. I've been trying to get my greenhouse designed and such. I am not using glass as it's too expensive for me right now and today I spent all day in a history seminar on migration patterns in the US. Yes, Algebra is a bridge to other math. It took me a couple of years before I fully realized the connections. But, I think you're comment about how it's not taught very well is the main reason that many leave classes frustrated and willing to give up. Not everyone's brain is wired the same way. I took a ' Physics for Writers' class once and was amazed at how effective and easy to understand the professor was vs the prof in my calculus based physics class. Men are from Mars, women from Venus theory often applies to students and instructors ;D
Hey Gillian,
Love your earthy nature. Greenhouses are so great. I just have a small garden in the warm months. I'm in Canada. But I've been wanting to do a small biodome in my backyard, for 'year- round' gardening. I don't know how much space you have but they come in different sizes, and are quite inexpensive to put up. Here is a link to a guy named Kacper who has been gardening his whole life and teaches people that its easy to have fresh fruit and veggies all year round, no matter what climate. Happy gardening!
http://kacperpostawski.com/blog/2011/02/22/geodesic-greenhouse-biodome-construction-pictures/
Wow, thanks for the link Renneye, that's quite an awesome and beautiful design!! I would love to have one of those! Plus, it has such aesthetic appeal that it would look nice in a neighborhood. I'm sure you could do the same on a smaller scale. I'm not using ( all) wood this year even though I would like to. I'm running short on time so I need to finish in the next two weeks. I've extended the structure from a small building in an " L" shape and it will give me enough room for several flats of veggies and herbs and then I'll shift them into larger pots. Once it warms up for good, I'll remove the plastic and just use shade cloth on the top. I put gravel down for the floor. I think it will work quite well. Have you ever heard of Eliot Coleman? I'm don't know where you are in Canada but Eliot teaches about year round gardens even in Maine! He designed a mobile greenhouse which resembles mine: http://www.fourseasonfarm.com/pdfs/garden_for_all_seasons.pdf
http://www.fourseasonfarm.com/about/eliot.html
I highly recommend his books. He also has videos on youtube as well.
Wow back at ya Gillian! Thanks for the introduction to Eliot Coleman. I read the links...and he gives a lot of easy hands-on information that I can use. Seems to me like there is no reason why most, if not all people couldn't grow their own veggies and at least some fruits all year round. Thereby getting into the capitalists' pockets.
Eliot Coleman comes highly recommended by one of my all-time favourite activists & conscientious business person 'Paul Hawken'...
"I know of no other person who can produce better results on the land with an economy of effort and means than Eliot. He has transformed gardening from a task, to a craft, and finally to what Stewart Brand would call 'local science'."
— Paul Hawken, best-selling author and entrepreneur
Thanks for the links Gillian! I'll be looking at his youtube videos for sure.
Glad you liked the links! An elderly couple that I know attended one Eliot's classes/seminars a couple of years ago and they now have a beautiful farm. They always had a farm but now it's year round organic. I have one of his books that I use often as a reference.
I'm not sure if I know Paul Hawken but I'll check him out.
Everyone should try to grow something, especially if they have kids. I LOVE gardening with kids and they are so enthusiastic and impressed with the process. What I like to do is design permaculture landscapes that incorporate edible plants into functional and formal design. Blueberry hedges, English parterre gardens with herbs, Japanese gardens....I was telling DK that my Loquat, in my Japanese garden, snapped last week. I'm so bummed. I don't know why the top snapped out really but in any event, it's deformed at the moment. I'm hoping it will send out some new growth in the spring. There are so many beautiful edible plants in the world for every climate. If you have a large property, you can grow brambles like raspberries, blackberries...yum. I use a fig tree as a focal point in the corner of my yard and I have it underplanted with various veggies in the spring. In addition to planting for myself, I always plant special treats for wildlife too.
Here's something I've noticed over the years that you may find interesting: I have never had an issue with rabbits eating my crops and yet, my neighbor behind me that was always setting out traps and shooting and poisoning the animals, always had a problem. I think the animals can sense our attitude toward them and when we live in harmony together without feeling threatened, everyone gets along. I really don't care if the rabbits eat my plants but if they ever nibble, I just ignore them or I talk gently to them and ask them to save some for me and they seem to do just that! I also provide other food sources for them like clover and oats and other goodies that they love, so maybe they don't feel the need to gobble up my food???
Hey Gillian! Sorry so late responding. I am absolutely 'green' with envy! Lol! My garden is a relative sandbox compared to what you're doing. But if I can't have that just yet...I sure am glad you have it! Kudos too, on your macrocosmic gardening style. You're clearly in tune with nature's circadian rhythms.
When you said 'brambles like raspberries, blackberries...yum.", it instantly brought me back to my house in Sweden. As kids, my sister and I would traverse the acreage and munch on the different berries and fruit growing there...muumfsy! (a word we made up for 'yummy'!). Its neither here nor there...but thanks for the nostalgia.
What I like about the 'Bio-dome' construction, is that because of its shape, it generates tropical temperatures...even in the dead of winter. This makes it possible to also raise fish in the dome. The fish generate fertilizer for the fruits and veggies...et voila...now you also have fish as a steady food supply. Mmmmm, Tilapia!
Here is a quick bio of Paul Hawken. He's integrity +! Its easy to become a fan. He's speaking in Toronto on February 6th. I'm going to try and make it.
http://www.paulhawken.com/paulhawken_frameset.html
Hope your greenhouse is coming along. Happy gardening Gillian!
Thanks Renneye! Yes, I love the Biodome construction too! Fish and vegetables and fruits...who needs anything more? Just add a goat and a cow and a chicken and you have a completely balanced meal every day...hahahha Feb 6 is my birthday! I sure wish I could treat myself to Paul's lecture. But, try to go for me and take good notes!
You wouldn't believe the climate challenges I've been dealing with in trying to set up my greenhouse. We had winds between 35 and 80mph continuously for 3 days!!! It was exhausting trying to work under those conditions as well as terrifying at times. The temps were just as extreme...one day it was 80 deg F and then down to a high of 30. I never know what to expect and the weather gurus seem to be just as boggled as I am. I too picked berries as a kid. They grew all over the place and although I liked the berries, I did not like the thorns or rather the prickles.
Speaking of prickles...I've been eating and drinking a lot of prickly pear cactus ( and juice)..have you ever tried that? I remove the prickles first of course but I remembered one day when I accidentally grabbed one of the pads and got a handful of those teeny prickles that took me hours to remove. I love the flavor of the Nopal cactus juice. On the topic of Sweden...I have a lot of Swedish things in my home...old Swedish linens, pans, etc.. and I eat Lingonberry preserves almost daily. I LOVE Lingonberries. Every Christmas morning, I make a Swedish breakfast too and I feed the birds for good luck. I never understood why I had such an affinity for Swedish things but just last year found out that some of my ancestors were Swedish. I love Norway and Denmark too.
Happy Belated Birthday Gillian!
Lingonberries!! You're a woman after my own heart! You've got me thinking of Swedish pancakes and lingonberries now! Mmmm....
Unfortunately, I had to forego the Paul Hawken lecture...but I know he lectures far more often in the U.S. So, you may get a chance to see him when he's in your neck of the woods.
I have to say Gillian...I have read your correspondence on the forum from the last couple of days, and I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you. I can not get over the parallels between us. Not just personalities, but also situations. Remember that you are not alone.
You are the reason, we are here Gillian. You are the poster-child for what ails North America. Your posts here are important because, though most of us here know the statistics of the victims from the destruction of America at the hands of the .01% ruling elite...you have graciously given voice to the overwhelming emotions that so many people are suffering through silently. Your tears serve as a reminder to us all, the reasons why we are here. Thank you for that.
I just love how your friends here have given such good ideas that many others here can also utilize. OWS works!! & I can see your positive nature shining through once again, dear one.
A small gift to help bring in the light...
Playing For Change: A Better Place ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVHOqrw3Jks
Where on Earth is Matt? 2012 ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwe-pA6TaZk
The Axis of Awesome ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpB_40hYjXU
Allman Brothers Band - Soulshine ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDIQ7Otf1mw
Dance like no-one's watching....
I awoke to your beautiful post and I can't thank you enough. It was like a sincere hug...something that I desperately need right now. I'm so afraid and I need all the reassurance I can get!! So thanks Renneye. Too bad you're not nearby or I would truly fix you some lingonberry pancakes and tea. Yummeeeee!
Now that is very tempting! You know, I'm not that far away, & did I mention I'm a great hugger?! Lol!!
I'm wondering if a cooperative of some kind might be helpful to you. Even if it is to talk with them for a little bit about your situation. They are socially like-minded, and may know of people or groups close to you that you could connect with...perhaps even employment.
Did I see somewhere that you are in Vermont? I don't quite know how ALL the various cooperatives work, but here is a list of many in the U.S. by state.
http://www.coopdirectory.org/directory.htm#Vermont
http://directory.ic.org/20675/Putney_Commons
http://directory.ic.org/20516/Slade_Hall
http://www.usworker.coop/regional/east
http://www.vermonthistory.org/index.php/coop.html
http://www.vermontagriculture.com/buylocal/buy/csa_map.html
I've got to go get me some of that Cactus juice...I'm all curious now!
I wish I were in VT but I'm in VA ( wrong V!!) My ancestors are all from VT and Maine and Mass. How did Yankee ole me end up in the Bible belt? Wrong turn I suppose. Thanks for the links...even though I'm in VA, I will still take a look because I would love to relocate to VT. I'll look into a coOp options here but I believe that in this area we have what is known as Business networking or BNI. It's really a cult of greedy capitalists. Oh boy are they ever a bunch of dysfunctional codependent weirdos. A customer invited me to one of their meetings once and I could not attend and you would not believe the hell I had to endure as a result of that. The lady had her husband call me and chew me out for not going. He said that it caused his wife to get a migraine for two days from excessive crying! I think they get some sort of stipend or reward for recruiting???? In any event, I'm not interested in joining their cult.
That cactus juice is absolutely delicious. I drink it every morning on an empty stomach...empty is the key. The brand I use is: Dynamic Health Laboratories Nopal Juice and it's organic. ((( Hugs ))))
Using plastic sheeting to begin? Good idea. Later if you want you can always add glass a piece at a time - but to begin - plastic sheeting should be ok.
Yes I'm using plastic, wood and PVC. I've got several benches and tables that I can use but I also have beds along one side for in-ground plantings. As long as the plants don't touch the sides of the plastic when it's cold, I should be fine. I also have a heat source if needed. Next week it will be in the 70's! - a far cry from today's 30. This area is very unpredictable.
Sounds like you have done quite a lot of quality thinking/consideration on this. Have you considered in compliment to a small/minor heat source ( when needed ) - some sort of ceiling fan to circulate the air? - slowly? but continuously when the heat is in use?
I have an exit vent that I can open and close for the blowing air and I have a door framed but I really hope that I won't need to use the heat and that the soil temp will be warm enough to sustain the plants over-night. The ground is not frozen and won't freeze as long as it's covered. It takes a very prolonged cold before it ever freezes here.
I have been so bummed lately because my beautiful Loquat tree snapped last week during a cold snap with a dusting of snow. It was absolutely gorgeous. Only the middle snapped out and I tried pruning the rest of the tree to make it look more 'normal' but I don't know if it will recover. For now, I can't bear to cut the entire tree down. That is one of my favorite trees for it's late flowers and intense fragrance.
Good mulch produces heat as it goes through the process of decomposition. I would not want to introduce cold outside air - but if the outside air could be used to turn a fan - woohoo.
Your tree - fill the popped out section - your hardware store likely has pruning patch material - just trowel it on/in - then tape the spot over.
Masking tape = paper will bust as needed.
oh yes, I will use mulch. Have you ever wondered how it is that plant roots don't burn under the mulch in summer? I burned up a bare root tree once in a mulch pile.
I'm not sure if I should patch that wound or not..I almost did but then I hesitated because....sometimes it's a good thing, sometimes, not. I'm hoping it will sucker at the wound so that I can get some new growth and hence, fearful that it won't if I patch it.
Consider natural pests to the tree - patching may well not be necessary. Growth is more dependent on the bark layers after-all.
So true - hard to believe but I think on average quite worse then men and women understanding each other. {:-]) BTW - I think many men and women understand just fine - but they like the game.
Game.....hahhaha That's my problem! I don't play games...I just carry my list of requirements and immediately begin checking off the deal breakers. I don't even compromise anymore. People don't change and why should they? Am I being too harsh? hahahha
I am not a game player either. No you are not being harsh. People need to be honest - and saying you are OK with something when you are not is not gonna be good for a relationship. People rarely ever change - and to do so they have to wanna change - so it is unrealistic to look at someone and say - change that - and expect it to happen.
This is why I have and dearly love my dogs. Enough is ENUFF. I've played the ole ' let's make a deal' too many times. There's never any deal, just deal breakers. If it doesn't flow naturally from the get go, it just ain't gonna flow. Forcing it only leads to resentment. I'm too weathered and wised-up ( is that a word?) for all that silly nonsense.
wised-up? It is now.
It is good to reach an understanding to deal in reality - but expect some strange looks from the game players.
Some couples are great at making mutual decisions together and gladly work to find a common ground that is grounded in respect. It helps if both can be reasonable and not emotionally driven all the time. I believe if you give more than 100 percent to a marriage it will work but both must be willing to do that........willing, being the secret ingredient.
Yep Two way - all the way - that one way BS just ain't gonna happen in my book. BTW - it is why I have always been single - honest with myself - not able to give that 100% equal input - funnier still - I care about that - I'm a guy for gosh sakes - the common stereotype says I should not care..
Absolutely a pathetic post. Here we have a two year old tantrum. The answer also lies in "who you know who quit school". Math is all about imagination, creativity and logic, it is one of the most beautiful sciences there is. Algebra is but one of the basic building blocks to a more complex experience. So you ask actual benefit: i give you a simple one: every time you work out how long it takes to do something or travel somewhere, you use algebra in some form.
It happens that the algebraic formulations developed to describe physical processes are pragmatically sound within limits of application. The problem to be avoided arises whenever the child is implored to explain physics from the standpoint of the axiomatics of such algebras. There are correct explanations of the apparent coherence among groups of physical-algebraic expressions, but the connection is not determined by algebraical logical-axiomatic considerations. By exaggerating the case for algebras, the teacher and text- book mystify the subject, reducing crucial features of physics to arbitrariness and superstition. As Monge and Riemann have rightly shown, when the proper geometric approach to physics is employed, such arbitrariness, confusion and mystification vanish.
http://larouchepac.com/node/14705
Eliminating the algebra requirement won't create more jobs. Because "going to college helps to get a job even if you don't learn anything" is the only reason I can see you would mention this.
Actually I believe that without jobs would not only be created they would be the kind of work people can be passionate about doin. Everyone has a calling in life and presently the numberof people answering that call is very low.I can figure out everything I need to without using algebra and that includes all aspects of builing and measure. The "tantrum" to which you refer will be told before all is said and done. Though it could be 2 years since I first relayed this.
Anytime you find an unknown quantity you use algebra.
Take the courses you need and forget about the degree.
If Algebra bothers you that much then don't take it. I didn't take algebra or economics but I took all the other GE stuff when I went back to school. Took a lot of other courses too. I don't talk about economics because I don't believe in it and algebra is just not relevant to my situation. It is to many others though.
Now I agree that you shouldn't be forced to take it for graduation. However the algebraic mathematics help us easily understand the world that surrounds us. In almost every realm of study algebra can be utilized.
However, if you feel like it isn't necessary for your life, you can abstain and test out.
another: write this on paper:
5 + 5 + 5 = 550
add one line to this to make it an accurate equality 5 + 5+ 5 ≠ 550 is NOT allowed
hint: add one diagonal line to the first +
The thing you're typing on wouldn't be possible without algebra.
But then again, we wouldn't all be blessed with your foolishness.
Yes, now I think we should outlaw algebra!
[Removed]
no you do not
OH OH - dueling math puzzles. INCOMING - GET TO COVER.
Only stupid people think that.
So here is today's problem:
If four two pound chickens can lay 4 eggs per week, how many eggs a one four pound rooster lay in two weeks?
lol - ummmmm
How many four pound chickens ( hens ) can it lay????? Hahahahaha
cluck - so maybe that was too easy - here is a tough one:
20+20+20=60
write three identical numbers that total 60
BUT not using 20
60
60
60
the TOTAL has to equal 60
It does - 3 times.
Didn't say anything about adding them together to get the total.
In pre-computer days, algebra was absolutely necessary to get somewhere in mathematics fast and reliably for those adept at using it. Now with vast computing power available, we should be able to do away with algebra but we still need to put a computing culture in place of algebra. Until every college student is skilled in solving real-world problems using computers but not algebra, we must keep algebra around. I see algebra as a tool that may become less necessary with time but once we have the tool, we may still want to keep it around in our repertoire so that we can at least see things in a different way. Much of mathematics is about seeing things in multiple different ways in our minds and in constructs and coming to the Aha! moment so algebra should stay.
sorry guy we are always going to have to learn algebra and calculus if we are going to be doing physics and chemistry and all their applications and actually know what we are doing.
quantummystic, we fell under the spell of Euclidean geometry for perhaps two millennia. What did we finally discover about the necessity of the Parallel Postulate? It is essential for Euclidean geometry but it was NOT necessary at all for NON-Euclidean geometries. The discovery that thousand-year-old dogma holds water AND NO water was definitely a Breakthrough that has even paved the way to the mathematics of general relativity used in our ubiquitous GPS systems (contributing to our quick victory over the army of Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guards).
If Archimedes could get into the infinitesimal calculus before it was (re?) discovered many centuries later, we can conceivably teach the masses using Archimedes' ideas and concepts with computer graphics and art appreciation classes to train the "minds' eye" to find beautiful patterns as supporting courses. In the end, perhaps the "left-brained" symbolic formalism of algebra and calculus can give way to a "right-brained" pictorial formalism easily understood by most if not all.
Mulling over the history of the Renaissance, the states of science, art, architecture, mathematics, and engineering were PRIMITIVE enough that these were practiced in workshop-like environments with practitioners under the same roof without much specialization. Perhaps our present-day problem of losing so many of our youngsters due to mathematics and sciences came from our advanced states of these areas of endeavors that had erected walls of ignorance between practitioners of different areas. For example, artists tend to recoil whenever heavy-duty symbolic mathematics is presented to them. Is this separation of the humanities from the mathematics and sciences really necessary? Artists can see BEAUTIFUL PATTERNS so can top-notch mathematicians and both groups were guided by their "minds' eyes."
Why can't we let the artists teach people how to spot similarities and identities or patterns and have our students do the same to spot beautiful patterns in algebra and calculus classes? (This may alleviate the problem of "starving artists" if we get the artists into elementary schools to teach children pattern recognition to help prepare them for mathematics) Could the fact that a number of Asian countries beat us in their youngsters' mathematical abilities be due to their having pictographic reading/written languages that had inadvertently forced their youngsters to strengthen their "right brains?" That is a question for our great research universities to research and answer.
We must retain the ability to do math without computers - if nothing else it provides a good foundation to design experiments - if computers are someday out of service ( EMP or whatever ) - would be good to retain the ability in people.
I'm with you. Peace belongs on a deserted island hacking at coconuts with a sharp rock.
K, I finally had to read this stupid topic. Where the fuck would we be without algebra? I'll tell you, in a cave smearing shit pictures on the walls.
I'm actually glad this topic was posted though, because so many nice conversations followed.
I agree and is one reason why I force myself to use paper and pencil every so often. I had trouble with fractions one day and realized how stupid calculators were making me.
Maybe we should be computing with odds instead of fractions. The sports people use that system and they can cite their statistics!
Hey Gillian {:-]) long time - no - conversation. This doing it the hard way also exercises the really important muscle needed for healthy growth - the brain - yep - people - let it get flaccid at your own peril.
My brain is much slower than it should be but it could be from all the carbon monoxide I inhaled on the school bus as a kid. hahahha Do you remember those fumes? That's enough CO to put any child's brain out of commission for several hours. Maybe the buses are more modern and airtight now? I see joggers running behind mosquito trucks in a fog of pesticide or during rush hour and I wonder how they could be so anti-smoking and not see the insanity in their own behavior. Flaccid brain syndrome!
FBS is the new disorder of the millennium.
BTW - I saw a report on the toxic air over salt lake city - right now - 4 times more toxic then the level required to put out a public health hazard warning - and yep - there were people jogging - I did see one guy in the report on a bicycle - he was wearing a sort of gas mask ( over nose and mouth ) - I was curious as to what it was rated to filter out.
One thing I have always been curious about - the warning says stay inside - but really - your home gets it's air from where(?) - outside if I am not mistaken - and homes are not set-up with air purification systems - so - just how helpful is it really to stay indoors? Yeah I know some particulates don't get through the cracks in the house/home where fresh air gets inside - but still - outside air must enter the house or you suffocate.
Yeppers. I saw that same report. Just imagine the entire world as Utah is today. It WILL happen. I believe that the universe or G-d presents us with these minor cases to warn us but we have a short memory. It's insane how people can compartmentalize all their logical thinking in order to avoid the truth. And those joggers? Please, they are the epitome of meathead.
Yes, the air we breathe in the house just may come from outside! Holy mole! I always laugh at people who fear nuclear war. Remember all those bomb shelters? I mean, ok, so what will you do after the bomb? Hang out there eating peas for the rest of your short life? Fallout will eventually seep through if human waste doesn't kill you first. No point in worrying about it as if we're going to survive it.
Yep - some ( an amazing number ) of people have real difficulty trying to face ( deal with ) reality. I remember the school drills - OK children there is the siren - crawl under your desks and wait for the all clear. Sheesh what non-sense.
Years ago I heard (can't remember where, of course) that the REAL reason we were required to crawl under the desk was so it would be easier to identify the bodies after the fact. Grim as it might sound, it makes a lot more sense than, "this desk will save you from that five megaton blast that just occurred downtown."
No - identification was not a concern - panic was - the teachers felt good that they had a procedure to follow. Made no sense if one were to think about it - but - it was something to do.
It was probably implemented to pacify the public in general, not aimed directly at "making the teachers feel good." I'm sure the parents felt good that the school was looking out for their little ones, society in general felt safer with the whole 'civil defense' procedure, however ineffective it actually was. But think about it, you have a classroom full of charred, unidentifiable corpses, what better way to identify them than by their 'seat assignments?' Identification would have been of some concern, it always is after a disaster.
For the record, I don't remember having to hide under our desks, although we might have during my earlier school years. From what I remember they had us line up in the hallway next to the wall just outside the classroom, sit down and put our heads between our knees. Remember this classic '70's poster parody? poster
Put your head between your knees and kiss your ass goodbye.
Recognize the inspiration for that saying?
That poster was a 'send-up' of an actual civil defense poster, of course. I remember ordering one out of National Lampoon magazine back in the '70's but I couldn't tell you where the inspiration came from. Certainly from someone more enlightened than the general population back in the '60's. Sounds like something the Merry Pranksters would have thought up.
The poster? Consider it a product of the times. Consider pretty much every major city in the USA as a target - now add in all of the various military bases. Take into account drills for a nuclear bomb dropping within 50 miles of your school or area ( within 100 miles ) - get under your desk - or get out in the hallway and put your head between your knees - really? - for what possible good? - only to kiss your ass good bye. Hence pop art poster.
[-] 2 points by gnomunny (4030) from St Louis, MO 7 minutes ago
Interesting. I assumed the poster was spoofing an actual poster since I saw it in National Lampoon (excellent magazine, by the way). Are you saying the poster in my link was a legitimate poster?
By the way St. Louis was also a major target for a nuclear strike back in the sixties. The list of companies and defense contractors based here was a mile long, although most of them have relocated to other states by now. McDonnell Douglas, Mallinkrodt Chemical, Olin Corp., Scott Air Force Base, etc. ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink
Gotcha. But I thought you were going to school me as to the actual person that thought it up. I knew where it's origins were in regards to the whole futility of the school drills and such.
Nope - it was the early 60's and I was in grade school - we were shown film of Nagasaki and Hiroshima - we were taught about the experimental bombs that were dropped there - we were taught the destructive power of those minor bombs. Then we were shown air raid drills if we were to ever experience such a thing. Only we were given to know that Nagasaki and Hiroshima were firecrackers as to what would fall in our immediate area ( atomized remains area ) - so - to go through the drills was basically understood as - kiss your ass goodbye.
Interesting. I assumed the poster was spoofing an actual poster since I saw it in National Lampoon (excellent magazine, by the way). Are you saying the poster in my link was a legitimate poster?
By the way St. Louis was also a major target for a nuclear strike back in the sixties. The list of companies and defense contractors based here was a mile long, although most of them have relocated to other states by now. McDonnell Douglas, Mallinkrodt Chemical, Olin Corp., Scott Air Force Base, etc.
Sorry silent doubter ( down voter ) but the comment you do not like is the truth. During the Cold war it was said that the twin cities - Mn - were targeted by no less then 36 warheads - each of which were 1000 times more powerful ( sorry it has been awhile - it may well have been 10,000 times more powerful ) then Nagasaki and Hiroshima - so - if even one made it to target - Millacs Lake over 100 miles away - would be boiling.
But we were not to feel lonely as :
Washington DC
Chicago
Des Moines
Los Angeles
Fairbanks
Denver
Pueblo
etc etc etc
Were targeted by as many also - So - we would not be alone - in putting our heads between our legs and kissing our asses goodbye.
Desks were fairly sturdy in those days ;D I had forgotten about the bomb drills. We had those and the fire and tornado drills.
Overall, I think we had a really cheerful youth despite the frozen walks to school, recessions,wars and such. Today is overwhelmingly ugly and inhumane. Hey, I forgot...have you seen this speech by Patch Adams? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdCrPBqQALc
Thx for the link I will have a look - that is the Dr. movie - right? Robin Williams? Hey!!!!! No. I Have never seen this before - thx.
Yeah the desks were really sturdy - but ummm - us kids still thought it a waste of time if it was a nuclear bomb/missile. But it seemed to make the grown-ups happy if we went along with the pretense.
Is it just me? or would you like him to do the blue dye ( non-toxic? ) on his mustache. All kidding aside - a gr8 Dr with gr8 dedication.
He's a character, no matter what color he is!
I love his business model...where doctors and janitors earn the same amount each month...300 dollars or so. What's really interesting is that he has more applicants in one year than most any other business in America. People are hungry for meaning and purpose and joy.
Well 300.00 a month is pretty giving - but if you have no other support? Otherwise - I like his stance of doing the job for the love of the job - really helping others.
I wondered how they manage to survive on 300 a month but it's possible that they provide housing and other needs as always. The community seems to support the doctors and staff. I think this is what Albert Schweitzer meant by ' trusting each other is the only way out of our misery'.
If they all feed a fund - that money combined could be so much more powerful then when taken individually. Living quarters at work???? Shared dining facilities??? etc?
That would work for me! Let's vote Patch for President! hahahha ( they are already talking about the next election..can you believe that? )
No surprise - not really - they are looking for any - and ALL - distractions that they can introduce.
[-] 2 points by Gillian (1467) 3 minutes ago
That would work for me! Let's vote Patch for President! hahahha ( they are already talking about the next election..can you believe that? ) ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink
Bus? - well in my day we walked 40 miles in blinding snowstorms to get to school...........wait a sec
FBS - good one - yeah - it is kinda odd to see people trying to be healthy by jogging in traffic
I actually walked those same 40 miles when I was just a youngin too! We had snow up to our waist. My gosh, kids are so coddled today. The first time I rode a bus was in VA and that was horrifying. The smell of fumes would make me so sick to my stomach and I'd get headaches. Prior to moving to VA, my grandfather was so concerned that I had to walk so far to school that he decided to follow me one day to observe how safe it was or not. Someone apparently reported a suspicious man following the chldren home and the police took him down to the station! hahahah After that he didn't worry.
lol - poor ol guy - but but ....officers...really....I
The ancient Greeks did not have algebra but they had certainly achieved quite a bit without it, especially Archimedes who had seemingly breached into the domain of the integral calculus millennia ago.
I lament the burning down of the Great Library of Alexandria in which Archimedes' works were largely lost. Very nice job done there by fanatical Christians, yes?
If we build up a computing culture to do away with algebra, we may unleash the creativity of more people, perhaps achieving something like the Golden Age of ancient Greece.
The knowledge of the ancients!
Yes, only we could get Archimedes' burned writings to use in our "Pre-algebra/Art Appreciation" and "Introduction to Calculus" courses!
We may perhaps roll them all into a single "Foundations of Mathematics" course in which we teach our children how to appreciate artistic masterpieces AND algebraic patterns, beauty in art forms (e.g. Escher's works) as analyzed with theory of groups (symmetries) and various geometries (transformations), theory of sets and theory of measures as applied to length, area, volume, probability, etc. and illustrate them with what we knew of Archimedes' surviving works.
Some fearless artists may be able to articulate what they see, feel, hear, touch, etc. to the crowds in technologies. I do not think that the Renaissance artisans cared about trespassing the boundaries of various modern disciplines. There are insolvable problems in mathematics and computer science but as long as we take the attitude of engineers using more of iterative trials and errors aided by high-speed computing and visual feedback, we can even "solve" insolvable problems by going for near-optimal solutions instead of the optimal ones. Nobody has computed Archimedes' constant to perfection but engineers and technologists have certainly made great strides in building wheels and spheres for many centuries. Obsession for exactness if replaced by striving for being "good enough" can allow one to make headway in "solving" insolvable problems.
the library burned down in 48 B.C. before jesus was born , long before there were any christians.
Much of the cultural heritage of the Greco-Roman culture was destroyed well after Jesus Christ had been crucified. The West forgot how to make concrete, for example. The great dome of Florence was completed with technique resuscitated from the classics.
Does not really matter who burned the Library - it was done on purpose - by the ignorant/stupid/controlled
in 48 b.c. that was julius caesar. grapes denigrated christians for doing it.
Alright, there might have been more than just religion that had caused the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria. It is rather incontrovertible that Europe fell into nearly a millennium of cultural stagnation under the domination of Christianity, which was initially a religion for the slaves in ancient Roman Empire times. Obedience to authorities was also a formula for cultural stagnation.
The Dark Ages - lovely period - "NOT" - religion a man made construct making a living hell on earth to protect power/authority/control.
Europe awoke when it started going for the REAL things, rather than what the authorities had stated. That was how European culture catapulted itself to dominate the world. "Get Real!" started the process. That was a cultural flash, no less -- perhaps initially motivated by the Mongol Conquest.
Was also fueled by fear of the progress being made by other cultures - reports from the crusades. The greater fear of outside conquerors fueled the golden age.
Maybe we really need China to take over Canada to fuel the Golden Age of the U.S. Go! China! Go!
ewwwwwwwwwwwww scary thought - but perhaps the USA ( ummm powers that be ) needs a threat immediately next door to break out of it's self destruction.
Canada is of great interest to China, especially its natural resources such as phosphate, oil, and timber. Some Canadian companies have already been taken over by China. It is not fairy tale that China is coming next door to the U.S. I am sure though that China would be rather discreet as it has done already in the U.S. so the Invisible Hand will only be visible to the ones privy to the actions.
The culture of white collar crime - feeling so entitled aren't they?
[-] 2 points by grapes (1529) 2 minutes ago
Maurice R. Greenberg previously of AIG comes to mind. Yeah, he is suing the U.S. Taxpayers for the strict terms of the bail-out of AIG. I suppose that the U.S. should have let AIG go bankrupt instead. What gall he has got after "leading" AIG into financial disaster! ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink
LOL - with some sort of contractual bonus for FAILURE no doubt - for executive officers anyway.
[-] 2 points by grapes (1524) 2 minutes ago
The smart ones say, "I'm out of here!" before the retribution comes. Many people will mistake the concurrency as causality when they do not know the ins-and-outs of the case. Beware of the managers jumping ship leaving their piles of bad karma behind. ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink
Maurice R. Greenberg previously of AIG comes to mind. Yeah, he is suing the U.S. Taxpayers for the strict terms of the bail-out of AIG. I suppose that the U.S. should have let AIG go bankrupt instead. What gall he has got after "leading" AIG into financial disaster!
Exactly - China is not concerned with the niceties of ownership of design - they are concerned with getting ahead.
I talked my last boss out of sending work there.
Though I think what finally shot it down was the fact that China has no concept of material standards/requirements ( QA QC ) and can not be trusted to deliver what is needed in material properties.
On that note - I am curious as to what kind of material failures they will experience in their domestic building projects.
[-] 2 points by grapes (1524) 0 minutes ago
China has laws about domestic ownership content. That is conducive to China retaining control of the joint ventures while requiring technology transfers to joint partners as well as the suppliers. That is the way to grow a strong competitor but regardless of that the fast-tracked (business-school-trained) managers would be out of the job by then when that happens. What counts is the next quarter's bottom-line and that is what makes fast promotions possible. ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink
The smart ones say, "I'm out of here!" before the retribution comes. Many people will mistake the concurrency as causality when they do not know the ins-and-outs of the case. Beware of the managers jumping ship leaving their piles of bad karma behind.
Hell - the most successful is to offer cheap/slave labor. Greed is blind to everything but it's need MO MONEY - so spies get what they want/need not only on the cheap - but also for profit in the doing.
[-] 2 points by grapes (1524) 0 minutes ago
The U.S. has a knack for putting secrets online. Even though we have one of the best if not the best cyber-attack capability in the world, we also have legions of (business-school-educated) managers who want information on their screens at the command of their fingertips.
Who really knows who else sees that information? Spying in the old way against the U.S. is rather obsolete although there are still some residual values there. It is much easier to study here and look up the information on our computer systems. Even some rather broke countries can use cyberspace to collecting information on the U.S. without sending costly "students" to the U.S. to study. ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink
China has laws about domestic ownership content. That is conducive to China retaining control of the joint ventures while requiring technology transfers to joint partners as well as the suppliers. That is the way to grow a strong competitor but regardless of that the fast-tracked (business-school-trained) managers would be out of the job by then when that happens. What counts is the next quarter's bottom-line and that is what makes fast promotions possible.
BTW - China's greatest spies never stole anything in the USA - they went to school.
Then their manufacturing just borrowed propriatory designs that they manufacture for foreign countries.
The U.S. has a knack for putting secrets online. Even though we have one of the best if not the best cyber-attack capability in the world, we also have legions of (business-school-educated) managers who want information on their screens at the command of their fingertips.
Who really knows who else sees that information? Spying in the old way against the U.S. is rather obsolete although there are still some residual values there. It is much easier to study here and look up the information on our computer systems. Even some rather broke countries can use cyberspace for collecting information on the U.S. without sending costly "students" to the U.S. to study.
People - ware the trans pacific trade pact.
[-] 2 points by grapes (1517) 0 minutes ago
That is the best way to get over the national-interest barriers. China bumped its nose a few times already with acquisition bids. If people can see the signs, they can see that the Lenox lead crystal vases with the Capitol frosted on as were presented to our President and Vice President were made in China. Such work is no longer capable of being done in the U.S. and will be a constant reminder to our President and Vice President that China will be there in their esteemed treasures. ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink
Discreet - invest - buy property - develop and control business - never declare successful financial conquest - just work quietly behind the scenes. No need to rouse imminent domain concerns - Hey?
That is the best way to get over the national-interest barriers. China bumped its nose a few times already with acquisition bids. If people can see the signs, they can see that the Lenox lead crystal vases with the Capitol frosted on as were presented to our President and Vice President were made in China. Such work is no longer capable of being done in the U.S. and will be a constant reminder to our President and Vice President that China will be there in their esteemed treasures.
Don't really care - the library was destroyed by stupidity.
People - GET PAST PARTY - DEAL WITH ISSUES.
christianity isnt a " party".
It most certainly is. As are all religions. No real difference between religious and political parties. Both are man made constructs used for control of others.
there are christian democrats and christian republicans, and christians libertarians, same with all other religions.
More parties/groups - nothing different than any other party - they each have their mixture of tenants/beliefs.
Fanatics - the world could really do well without them. Any stripe of fanatic.
Pagans, Infidels, Idols, etc. have been labels that people had used for wiping out the common cultural heritages of all human beings, largely in the name of religions. It is very sad.
Yes it is - prejudices ignorance - due to man made superstitions constructs controls - rather then an appreciation recognition of knowledge from research trial and error, good fortune - KNOWLEDGE .
That is why transcending religions is possible and necessary for the good of all the peoples.
Religion is man made - a construct - used by those in positions of power of authority to control others.
This is the truth - the revelation to be made, discovered, experienced by the majority of humanity.
BTW - Christianity has many diverse groups = parties. As do the other religions.
some of them are pretty cool like the rastafarians, the peyote churches, and the ayahuasca churches.
Yes indeed, the "multitudes" and many have different taboos that are sometimes irreconcilable so we put them to fights, to the detriment of most parties involved.
Put into conflict by those in position of authority. The sheep - not understanding that they are being used - led - for another's benefit reasons. Trusting solely in another to tell you the truth - trust that you will not be lied to.
We actually still have some great colleges and universities where questioning skills are being taught to students. It is a form of healthy mistrust that can liberate the mind. That type of education however is more reserved for the better-off people because of the prohibitively expensive college/university educational costs. Besides, I believe that there is a racket among our government, our elites, and our educational establishment to keep an all-powerful life filter at college entrance to prevent hoi polloi from acquiring the higher thinking skills. It does serve a purpose though to preserve domestic tranquility so that people who have been kept equally incompetent in K-12 (which was run more like a factory) can be moved to different tracks of life (yes, this is where money does count).
Yep - some few institutions of real learning - restricted access.
And due to the stinking thinking a major population that is not versatile, flexible and able to adapt to change very easily.
TPTB instilling failure of society due to fear of losing their position of power authority and excessive abundance.
Bingo! Sorry, folks, many have been stood up.
Nothing to be sorry about - well - except for the general lack of understanding by the masses - to this point in time.
Yes.
And so we gather here and elsewhere to reach out and spread education/awareness.
Because - Fundamental change for the better for ALL will come through the involvement/actions of The People.
[-] 1 points by grapes (1507) 0 minutes ago
Yes. ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink
I love mathematics and algebra is just part of that.
We'll leave the simple jobs like driving taxis and digging holes and shopping trolley collection at the mall to the likes of PH.
You being a successfully creative individual - I can well believe that you have more then a passing understanding of mathematics.
PH hmmmm - wow that is an awful lot of responsibility to entrust. Well could probably handle collecting shopping carts ( trolleys ).
Hmmm, there might be an equation or two involved in the shopping cart job. Maybe just sweeping then for PH?
We had some argument like this in the teaching of mathematics. Should the calculators be allowed in taking examinations? After decades, the answer became: fine, let us use calculators. I see computers in the same way, like: fine, we will retire the slide rules. I still admire the slide rules for their very visual representation of mathematics but the younger generations probably do not know anything about the beauty of that representation. Yes, I can see algebra being retired to the recesses to join the slide rules but it will be quite a while yet before we have built up a savvy-enough computing culture to retire algebra for good. In any case, I recommend keeping algebra around for its different perspective and relevance for understanding old mathematical heritage.
As well as a foundation of understanding to fuel more in depth researches. A problem I see with many people at work today - is - they are fine when shown what to do - but have no understanding of why they are doing it or the significance of the process that they are being instructed to follow.
This is also the fault of employers looking for the least expensive worker to push a button - so to speak. The less education the cheaper to hire - but also the least functional in understanding and in not understanding not forwarding improvements for consideration.
Be shown to do something in a faulty manner and continue to do so because you are unable to see the fault/problem.
Very true indeed so I guess that I agree with you that for at least a select few they must be taught algebra so that they can see with their "minds' eye." Actually algebra can be harnessed very well by those people with the eyes for beautiful patterns. It does NOT have to stifle imagination or creativity. I somewhat question its necessity for the masses if we have ubiquitous computing power available for manipulating high speed visual representations.
How dull do you want your fellow man to be? Yeah you will have the occasional creative genius that needs nothing but the world around them to keep pushing forward in wild and wonderful ways - but - to be honest - most people need guidance and that would include a good base education in fundamentals to be able to understand concepts - even presented visually. They need the education to develop skills in seeing and comprehending what they are seeing.
Do you hear the overtone in peacehurricane's posting? There is frustration and denigration of algebra but I am fine with that because I have learnt throughout my years that the olds need to make way for the youngs and news. Maybe they do have a better way but I will wait and see by standing aside and perhaps offering an advice from time to time. I have come to accept that we may well be like the algebra Marines whose times have passed them by.
Sure - what I take most in the forefront - is that PH had a bad educational experience.
As far as replacing or dropping algebra? It will be because the principals and tenants will have been incorporated by the replacement - but the replacement will still need proper in depth teaching to all but the very few naturals that come along - and those naturals will likely be the ones to replace that system - but naturals are not always ( rarely? ) good at explaining what it is that they are seeing to the non-gifted. And so proper in depth education is required by those that can decipher what has not been presented in full.
Yes, similarity or identity of algebraic expressions have led to very valuable insights about disparate fields of endeavors before and will do so again so I agree with in-depth teaching but we must keep in mind that the few, the proud, the Marines may well end up like the Spartans or even worse, the last librarian of the Great Library of Alexandria.
Let the masses be taught algebra but we still need to find ways to cope with the ones who are not the naturals. Even the people with the "minds' eye" often do not use their abilities because they do not seem to know that they possess the abilities. Well, we in the U.S. had made education widely available but we seem to have strayed away from that commitment more recently. The open and supportive attitude though still exists in our great research universities and I hope that persists.
I was fortunate in that I had an exceptional education/teachers ( for the most part ) mostly during the 60's before the dumbing down began. I was taught how to learn - not accept a lesson - but to expand on thoughts and ideas and concepts. To go beyond what was presented. This is the education that is needed today.
We have elementary schools that spent so much time on teaching multiplications through so many different methods that most smart young people came to the conclusion that "Math is hard!"
Well, that was done in the name of equality so that "No Child Left Behind!" Yes, indeed, the easiest way to make sure everyone stays equal is to make sure that everybody is equally incompetent in mathematics. Then we gripe about insufficient resources to move the entire mass up and how we need more scientists and engineers to catch up with the other countries. In fact, we lost so many of our own youngsters in grade schools due to mathematics, science, and engineering that we are fast becoming like the ancient Roman Empire that we need foreigner legions to handle our scientific and engineering needs while we indulge in wines sweetened by leaden pots.
Sad situation. All of the ability in the world to achieve the best results for each individual and no desire/intent to do so. Hence a failing society - such fail their people prior to crashing and burning.
Yes, the meat was willing but the wine was rotten.
LOL - Interesting way to express that thought.
Cannabis wine, everyone? Or is it vinegar by now?
Vinegar has it's good uses = salad dressing - remover of hard water deposits.............
Cannabis? Possibly the safest recreational drug ever found as well as a stimulus to expanded thought and conversation?
[-] 2 points by grapes (1517) 0 minutes ago
Cannabis wine, everyone? Or is it vinegar by now? ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink
Algebra is the basis for all complex mathematics and the foundation for physics and chemistry. Now where would we be without mathematics, physics and chemistry? I'll tell you where the fucking dark ages.
Algebra is very useful - but rarely taught well - it was my experience in school that many things were - just run through - to get to a further point - calculus for example. Not enough time was spent building a useful foundation/familiarity ( real world application ) before continuing on.
My education was a fine experience though I did quit in 9th grade and went for GED at 18 to go to the U.S.A.R. and passed in 3 hours. It is good that much discussion came out of everyone assuming me simple minded enough to do shopping carts/sweeping. The ancient Greeks used math formulas for what need be. The library was burned because it contained the only evidence to prove correct this post. The triangle is the only place that algebra has been actually applied and the equations can be found with less mystery because you have the numbers where algebra replaces them unnecessarily.
Algebra's usage of the "variables" might be analogous to physics' obsession with the objective "properties." Both suffer from the relational requirement on the users to "connect the dots" with their minds' eyes. That is where the naturals (who can "see" relations better) and the others separated. Algebra's symbolic representation of the variables gears toward "left-brain" processing but the insight of possible paths to take needs to come from "right-brain" processing of patterns in the "terrain of possibilities." Coordinating the "left-brain" with the "right-brain" is harder than just staying with the "right-brain" exclusively.
In human perception, the highest data-rate sense is vision which had been shown to occur in the "right-brain" so visual representations offer the best promise for grappling with relations of vast amounts of data. In mathematics, functional relations can be represented in numerical tabular, graphical, and symbolic/algebraic forms. The graphical representations being visual is the most promising for reaching the masses quickly with the vital information in the relations and with the advent of vast computing power manipulating the graphical representations in near realtime is the new exciting frontier that has opened up for the building of new intuitions for the masses.
Many areas of endeavors including physics can also advance by shifting away from the obsession with objective "properties" to the dualistic study of "relations."
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