Math/Science fail....

[Peter Ward]

It disturbs me when a leading newspaper, such as the Sydney Morning Herald, publishes a piece that demonstrate a sheer lack of understanding of basic mathematical concepts by the author:

Take this little snippet by David McCowen from a motoring article published on the 21st in the SMH.

"Producing 476kW at 6500rpm and 819Nm at 3800rpm, the LS9 would represent the most powerful engine ever sold in an Australian-made car, outgunning Ford's final 351kW FPV GT-F by an order of magnitude"

Sorry Dave...that's a fail

An order of magnitude more power would place the LS9's output at around 3510 kW....not a mere 120 kW or so.

Perhaps a sad reflection on the teaching of Science/Math in our schools?

[AndrewJ]

Gday Peter
( Here goes, politics and religion in one post )
During the last week here, the state govt have started changing the rules re the teaching of religion in schools.
As part of the discussion, the interviewer was trying to find out how many children were in school and how many actually go to the classes. When pushed, the (IIRC) education minister finally said that "around 30,000" go to the classes and it was approx 20% of the total school enrolments.
Neither the interviewer or the minister could then figure out how may kids in total that meant.
Just for even more fun, the interviewer asked one of the regulr "phone in stockbrokers" later in the show, and he got it wrong as well.
Who needs maths when you have an IPad???

Andrew

[sn1987a (Barry)]

What could go wrong?

http://i.imgur.com/NI6DSf5.jpg

[raymo]

My favourite saying used by people who have no idea what it really means, and actually use it to describe the exact opposite of what it means, is quantum leap. I love it when a proud politician opens a
new telescope or whatever, and says "this instrument will provide a
quantum leap in our knowledge of the universe". It's going to take us a long time to learn much if our knowledge increases in quantum leaps.
raymo

[xelasnave]

More religion less math and science what could go wrong.
Religion should be banned without exception from schools and parliament.
It is the greatest lie ever told.
Still on the up side stupid people are easy to control so maybe it is math and science we should get rid of...we would only need one or two books to explain everything.
I am just seeing if the mods work late sunday.

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by raymo

My favourite saying used by people who have no idea what it really means, and actually use it to describe the exact opposite of what it means, is quantum leap. I love it when a proud politician opens a
new telescope or whatever, and says "this instrument will provide a
quantum leap in our knowledge of the universe. It's going to take us a long time to learn much if our knowledge increases in quantum leaps.
raymo

That could "polarize" some opinions

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by sn1987a

What could go wrong?

http://i.imgur.com/NI6DSf5.jpg

He is at least the best republican he doesn't hide his stupidity.

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

Perhaps a sad reflection on the teaching of Science/Math in our schools?

More likely:
- a reflection on a lazy little bugger who didn't study or
- equally useless parents who didn't take an interest in their childs education, or
- a society that idolises the stupid and trivial or
- politicains who screw with the curriculum every two minutes to promote their own agenda whilst starving schools of funds or
- the endless tripe kids absorb from the various media sources / technology they have their faces buried in all day / niight..

There is only so much a teacher can do...

[GeoffW1 (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

More religion less math and science what could go wrong.
Religion should be banned without exception from schools and parliament.
It is the greatest lie ever told.
Still on the up side stupid people are easy to control so maybe it is math and science we should get rid of...we would only need one or two books to explain everything.
I am just seeing if the mods work late sunday.

Ha ha,

They will get a protest if they come down hard. I am with you in all respects there.

Cheers

[xelasnave]

The devil made me do it.

[raymo]

This is an entertaining thread. Watch this space.
raymo

[xelasnave]

The sad thing Peter is given the readership of your motoring writer is many folk will now use his "order of magnitude" as the new neat way of expressing the idea he was attempting to convey...
And this is how the meaning of words change..clearly a quantum leap now means for the general populace..a giant step.
I am sure there are many words that have been changed to mean something different..someone must know one but I can't think of one.

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

.........many folk will now use his "order of magnitude" as the new neat way of expressing the idea he was attempting to convey...

Sadly, they'd also be wrong....and none the wiser.

I guess the "dumbing down" continues.

[AndrewJ]

Gday Alex

It is the greatest lie ever told.

That surely can't beat "trust me",
which is what all the dumbing down is eventaully leading to.
The current system of mind control via small pretty screens, is slowly eroding peoples requirement to think about or analyse anything until its too late. These little screens are replacing the requirement for common sense or basic learning, and operate on such a short attention span that anything can be said, without necessarily being challenged.
Now, i gotta stop for a while, cos Mars is going to be bigger than the moon tonight, and i dont want to miss it.

Andrew

damn!!!! Niburu is blocking it out :-(

[PCH (Paul)]

The OED offers more than the 'power of 10' as a meaning for the expression 'order of magnitude' though.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/de...r-of-magnitude

So it would seem the SMH reporter was quite right to use the expression to convey the idea of simple 'size or quantity'.

[pfitzgerald (Paul)]

Ordinarily I ignore and wouldn't deign to reply to comments like the OPers final comment:

"Perhaps a sad reflection on the teaching of Science/Math in our schools"

However, not this time. Peter, have you actually taught Mathematics and Science? Did you write your comment from an informed position, or was it flippant and off the cuff? Did you stop to consider that maybe the reporter concerned did not pursue their study of mathematics and/or science beyond the middle years at secondary school, and that these subjects in particular were not their strongest suits? What support and encouragement for their schoolwork was provided to them at home?

I am one of 'those' Maths/Science teachers that you have just so glibly dished out on. For the past thirty years I have had the responsibility and privilege to work in a classroom and try to inspire and teach each every one of my students. Do I always succeed? Sadly no. Along with my colleagues in other subject areas we try our best to not only teach our students the basic skills in our subject areas, but also the skills that will help them to be able to learn for themselves once they have left school.

Sometimes it seems that because everyone one of us has been a student in a classroom we all know what it's like to be on the 'other side' of the teacher's desk.

So Peter please forgive me if I've come across as being overly terse and surly in my reply to your post, but today I just couldn't let it slide by. I've just spent several hours today writing a science test, correcting my student's physics tests and then planned for tomorrow's lessons. Friday night I missed the opportunity to watch my daughter play in a basketball final. Why? Because I put my hand up to be the organiser at my school to be part of the World Record Star Gazing attempt. With the help of several of my colleagues over 150 students and their parents had a great night looking at the Moon, Saturn and the Jewel Box. For many of them it was their first experience of a 'star party' and observing the night sky through a telescope. Who knows, one day one or more of them might decide to pursue a career in Astronomy. And if they do, maybe, just maybe I will have had a small part to play in that decision - and that is why I chose teaching as a career.

Usually I find the posts (and posters) on this forum to be a source of encouragement and inspiration - but sadly not so today. :-(

Paul

[xelasnave]

I must say I get a little negative about how the populace seems to be getting dumber but really folk are becoming more educated and better informed.
If we look back only a century or two religion dominated thinking and education.
I don't have anything against religion other than it corrupts reality and devotees are usually dishonest and hypocrites absolutely unaware of their shortcomings somehow believing that they are guided by an invisible friend who guides them on a rightous path. So for some moving outside the control of religion should enable them to be smarter.
I have to confess I have used words incorrectly..I would use pacific when I should have used specific..More recently I said dam meaning damn...but I really like dam as damn is religious..so dam is better. Damn is for damnation..see more religion we don't need.

[xelasnave]

Sorry I missed some posts..let me catch up.
Please type slower as I don't read fast.

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by PCH

The OED offers more than the 'power of 10' as a meaning for the expression 'order of magnitude' though.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/de...r-of-magnitude

So it would seem the SMH reporter was quite right to use the expression to convey the idea of simple 'size or quantity'.

OED's definition does allow for intangibles (e.g. how does one compare the effort put into a task)....but..

No.

He was comparing power outputs. With real numbers (well they could have been integers)

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by pfitzgerald

Ordinarily I ignore and wouldn't deign to reply to comments like the OPers final comment:

"Perhaps a sad reflection on the teaching of Science/Math in our schools"

However, not this time. ............

Paul

Oh dear...touched a raw nerve did I?

That said, my comment was not intended to reflect on the professionalism or otherwise of Math/Science teachers.

I'd strongly suggest in a Country that gives accolades and serious remuneration to our "sports heroes" yet pays our Doc's and Post Doc's peanuts for working on, say troublesome radio reflections (and inventing W-Fi) or a cure for cancer, then we've got some work to do.

Maybe several orders of magnitude more