Math/Science fail....

[xelasnave]

For my part I did not see..
Perhaps a sad reflection on the teaching of Science/Math in our schools"
as having a go at teachers but as concern for the lack of emphasis math and science seems to enjoy in Australia.
Teachers should be paid more and held up as heroes, because they are, and professional sportsmen and entertainers, actors regarded as failures who could not find a real job.
I owe my life to my parents and my teachers.

[raymo]

Paul, I think you got upset and jumped in prematurely. I think that it's
more likely that Peter was railing against the system, as he sees it, rather than the teachers. Teachers are the unfortunate meat in the sandwich.
Most thinking people, including Peter I would presume, are aware that many teachers are dedicated people who have to attempt to instil some
knowledge into sometimes recalcitrant and/or reluctant kids. Sometimes
a thankless task. I also think the system is broken, but this is not the
place to discuss it.
raymo

[Peter Ward]

To remove any doubt, I am genuinely disappointed that a journalist in a national broadsheet can get it so wrong without even a whimper from the readers.

The system is indeed broken, and I feel sorry for the educators struggling within it. A recent Australian Academy of Science survey only showed it to be getting worse.... to quote one of the findings...

"However, (basic science) knowledge levels amongst young people have dropped more than other groups over the last 3 years
► For example, there was a 12% reduction in the proportion of 18-24 year-olds who know the earth orbits the sun in a year (down to 62%)"

[noswonky (Peter)]

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

Quantum does not refer to small size, but to a quantized nature. In quantum physics, the energy level of an electron changes from one state or another without ever being at an intermediate level. It is quantized.

So a 'quantum leap' in technology is a sudden jump from one level to a much higher level which skips over the usual intermediate states - just like the leap of an electron to the next energy level.

[xelasnave]

Sell all property owned by all religious groups and establish a trust to provide prizes for scientific achievement at all levels, together with tv shows like x factor or the voice where prizes are given for science achievement.
In USA the tv show CSI caused an increase in the number of kids wanting to do forensic science. Why? Well because the show made science look good and so kids found intrest.
Our leaders bang on about being the clever country and then fund some new sporting facility.

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

That could "polarize" some opinions

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

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 :-(

Gold.

[Dealy (Kev)]

Originally Posted by 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..

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Sell all property owned by all religious groups .

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.
.

How about keeping your bigoted rants to yourself.

[xelasnave]

Hi Kev, I did rant didn't I.
Sorry I will pull my head in.
I have been dealing with a bigot and seems something rubbed off.
Thank you I realise now I should not let things upset me.
I hope all I have upset can forgive me.

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

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'.

Hopefully not for the same reason that "New cue lar", has become an accepted pronounciation for 'nuclear'.

[Paul Haese]

Is this a science question or in an understanding of English? Sure order of magnitude is power of 10 notation but could it also be stated that the writer did not understand in English what an order of magnitude really means. I often see many mistakes in written broad sheets and newspapers using terms that have become euphemisms; when in fact this ought not have happened. So maybe in this case the journalist was trying to say that this motor will have outstanding performance over and above any other car manufacturer, but thought they were being smart by using less words and trying to sound impressive by using order of magnitude. Better written skills would also help in relaying science and maths perhaps in this case. This thread reminds me of the sometimes gramma threads started here.

[N1 (Mirko)]

Originally Posted by el_draco

more likely:
[...]
- a society that idolises the stupid and trivial or
[...]

+1!

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

"However, (basic science) knowledge levels amongst young people have dropped more than other groups over the last 3 years
► For example, there was a 12% reduction in the proportion of 18-24 year-olds who know the earth orbits the sun in a year (down to 62%)"

I call that the "Simpson Syndrome". Stupid parents allowing their kids to watch trash instead of something intelligent.

[deanm (Dean)]

Errrr.... I think part of the problem is that the parents are also watching the same TV trash!

Dean

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

I’m sure you won’t have to look too far to find some reporter saying “kilowatts per hour” either.

[GeoffW1 (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by Dealy

How about keeping your bigoted rants to yourself.

Very nasty and personal.

Is Alex entitled to an opinion? I saw more than a hint of tongue-in-cheek in what he said.

[LewisM]

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

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

NEVER a truer word spoken!!!

Sports... what a world we live in when a high school dropout wearing skin tight shorts and a singlet who throws a red ball around gets paid more than someone who actually does something meaningful for humanity. It is my pet peeve that these individuals get paid "salaries" in the 6 digits to play a sport.

Yet we still have not found a cure for cancer...

Yet we still have not set foot on Mars...

yet MILLIONS die every year due to a lack of water...

Yep, we have to pay some jock $XXXXXX a year to play a sport so someone sitting in a chair at home can watch. What a sad reflection on our priorities as a human race.

Or the next tattoo some yob needs to get... whereas that couple hundred could have been spent feeding his family or donated to charities or medical research. No, he needs his latest lover tattooed on his forehead, or a barbed wire image around his bicep, or she needs a tat on her thigh...

[Dealy (Kev)]

Originally Posted by GeoffW1

Very nasty and personal.

Is Alex entitled to an opinion? I saw more than a hint of tongue-in-cheek in what he said.

Bigot (biget) n. a person who is extremely intolerant of another's creed, belief, or opinion

Tongue-in-cheek? One comment, maybe. Over and over with similar comments, No.

Am I nasty for standing up to an intolerant opinion? No

Or are only those with similar opinions to yours allowed to speak?

[LewisM]

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

This thread reminds me of the sometimes gramma threads started here.

Was that GRAMMA deliberate Paul, or did you mean GRAMMAR?

[RB (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by Dealy

Bigot (biget) n. a person who is extremely intolerant of another's creed, belief, or opinion

Tongue-in-cheek? One comment, maybe. Over and over with similar comments, No.

Am I nasty for standing up to an intolerant opinion? No

Or are only those with similar opinions to yours allowed to speak?

[LewisM]

Speaking of Bigots...


Bigots are on both side of the fence, and in the mirror. When did you look last?