Learning math teaches people how to think. Logic and math are intricately intertwined. One of my favorite classes ever was called Mathematics and Logic: From Euclid to Modern Geometry.
“Calculus is the pinnacle of learning!” Almost nobody needs it, and it can be instantly, more than done by computers now, probably even known when it’s needed to be done. Time wasted.
This is an ignorant statement. You sound like someone who didnt want to invest the brain power required to learn math. Besides Civics, math is our most important foundational science. Sorry, call em like I see em.
This is the course description for Mathematics and Logic:
Today more than ever we need logic and sound reasoning in defense of truth. And one of the best ways to develop these skills is through the study of Euclidean Geometry.
For more than 2,300 years, Euclid’s Elements has provided the foundation for countless students to learn how to reason with precision and pursue knowledge in all fields of learning. This classic text of Western civilization provides profound tools to distinguish truth from error by means of self-evident principles.
In this course, you will study the transformation of mathematics by the ancient Greeks, discover the fundamentals of logic and deductive reasoning, examine the central proofs of Euclid, learn about the birth of modern geometry, and much more.
The fact that we weren’tever taught math from Euclid’s Elements genuinely pisses me off.
Good enough for 2,300 years of amazing architecture and development, and much deeper understandings of structure and harmonics, but some muttonhead at Harcourt Brace or [Robert] Maxwell Publishing subsidiary MacMillan knows how to do it better now.
Every MI5-authored American textbook needs to be airdumped square into the middle of the Buckingham Palace courtyard.
I said calculus, specifically, and was not trying to say it’s useless, by any means, but that it’s overvalued with respect to how it’s perceived within how it’s taught. There are absolutely a ton of things we wouldn’t have today without it. Said nothing of math in general, which is a critical life skill, as is logic, and I own a copy of Euclid’s Elements myself. My choice of tone was not the best, I’ll grant you. It is a result of a derisive attitude I have toward mindsets like, “I don’t understand it, therefore it must be important.”
If someone wants to start showing applicability for it in more common use cases, I’d be all ears, because I actually enjoy the subject, though I never use it. It’s lack of usefulness does make it overvalued for me, as a non-engineer/statistician who could easily “plug and chug” if a use case did ever show up (which I would have to at this point).
As is, a lot of the other subjects mentioned in this thread that are entirely neglected, do have much more value, because “applicability”, particularly in widespread societal use, is the key valuation metric of what I was getting at, and I’m a very big fan of the 80/20 rule.
I very honestly think a lot of the subjects we cover here on a regular basis are more important than calculus as well. None of that is to say that it doesn’t have its place, or is without any merit within its spheres of applicability.
This is an ignorant statement. You sound like someone who didnt want to invest the brain power required to learn math.
I was just shy of a minor, but use basically nothing past algebra, and occasionally some probability, and a fair amount of statistics (though often also as P&C). My other comment might better explain what i was trying to get at. Doesn’t mean I’m right, but it is my lived reality.
You can also understand why I would say “time wasted” when I spent.. probably 3-5 years taking mid-advanced math subjects and my only resulting purpose for them was to get a piece of paper.
Learning math teaches people how to think. Logic and math are intricately intertwined. One of my favorite classes ever was called Mathematics and Logic: From Euclid to Modern Geometry.
This is an ignorant statement. You sound like someone who didnt want to invest the brain power required to learn math. Besides Civics, math is our most important foundational science. Sorry, call em like I see em.
This is the course description for Mathematics and Logic:
The fact that we weren’t ever taught math from Euclid’s Elements genuinely pisses me off.
Good enough for 2,300 years of amazing architecture and development, and much deeper understandings of structure and harmonics, but some muttonhead at Harcourt Brace or [Robert] Maxwell Publishing subsidiary MacMillan knows how to do it better now.
Every MI5-authored American textbook needs to be airdumped square into the middle of the Buckingham Palace courtyard.
I said calculus, specifically, and was not trying to say it’s useless, by any means, but that it’s overvalued with respect to how it’s perceived within how it’s taught. There are absolutely a ton of things we wouldn’t have today without it. Said nothing of math in general, which is a critical life skill, as is logic, and I own a copy of Euclid’s Elements myself. My choice of tone was not the best, I’ll grant you. It is a result of a derisive attitude I have toward mindsets like, “I don’t understand it, therefore it must be important.”
If someone wants to start showing applicability for it in more common use cases, I’d be all ears, because I actually enjoy the subject, though I never use it. It’s lack of usefulness does make it overvalued for me, as a non-engineer/statistician who could easily “plug and chug” if a use case did ever show up (which I would have to at this point).
As is, a lot of the other subjects mentioned in this thread that are entirely neglected, do have much more value, because “applicability”, particularly in widespread societal use, is the key valuation metric of what I was getting at, and I’m a very big fan of the 80/20 rule.
I very honestly think a lot of the subjects we cover here on a regular basis are more important than calculus as well. None of that is to say that it doesn’t have its place, or is without any merit within its spheres of applicability.
I was just shy of a minor, but use basically nothing past algebra, and occasionally some probability, and a fair amount of statistics (though often also as P&C). My other comment might better explain what i was trying to get at. Doesn’t mean I’m right, but it is my lived reality.
You can also understand why I would say “time wasted” when I spent.. probably 3-5 years taking mid-advanced math subjects and my only resulting purpose for them was to get a piece of paper.