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Subject: "math is worthless" Locked thread - Read only
 
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Hokey (Guest)
guest
Jun-03-01, 05:22 PM (EST)
 
"math is worthless"
 
   I would just like to take this moment to display my hatred toward math. Math sucks. It is the most worthless piece of garbage I have ever seen. I think it was created so those people who were terrible at english and who were just plain stupid would have a chance to be good at something. You people who created this retarded sight are part of the problem. It makes me sick to see the world encouraging this sort of crappness. I think I speak for all of the intelligent people out there when I ask you to please dis continue your site. Math is worthless. And all of the people who praise it are blind and following a worthless dream.


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  Subject     Author     Message Date     ID  
math is worthless Hokey (Guest) Jun-03-01 TOP
  RE: math is worthless pilar Feb-25-04 1
     RE: math is worthless Niki Apr-22-04 11
  RE: math is worthless Hokey Mar-01-04 2
  RE: math is worthless SomeGuy Mar-04-04 3
     RE: math is worthless Hokey is .... Mar-05-04 5
  RE: math is worthless Anne S. Mar-04-04 4
     RE: math is worthless Ralph Boles Mar-07-04 6
  RE: math is wonderful Brian Mar-09-04 7
     RE: math is wonderful Becky Apr-25-04 15
         RE: math is wonderful alexb Apr-25-04 16
  RE: math is worthless Fred Mar-10-04 8
  RE: math is worthless jaesaces Mar-15-04 9
  RE: math is the greatest jaesaces Mar-15-04 10
  RE: math is worthless trig kid Apr-23-04 12
  RE: math is worthless templar Apr-24-04 13
  maths is NOT worthless Stacey Wardle Apr-24-04 14
  RE: math is worthless Neil Apr-26-04 17
  RE: math is worthless Some other guy Apr-28-04 18
  RE: math is worthless mathanono Apr-30-04 19
     RE: math is worthless Ralph Boles May-02-04 22
  RE: math is worthless Cleaner May-02-04 20
  RE: math is worthless Bagman May-02-04 21
  RE: math is worthless Ashwin May-03-04 23
  RE: math is worthless A Blind Man ... May-03-04 24
     RE: math is worthless Rosie May-03-04 25
     RE: math is worthless sfwc May-04-04 26
         RE: math is worthless Guest19 May-19-04 27
             RE: math is worthless alexb May-19-04 29

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pilar
guest
Feb-25-04, 09:43 PM (EST)
 
1. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   >I would just like to take this moment to display my hatred
>toward math. Math sucks. It is the most worthless piece of
>garbage I have ever seen. I think it was created so those
>people who were terrible at english and who were just plain
>stupid would have a chance to be good at something. You
>people who created this retarded sight are part of the
>problem. It makes me sick to see the world encouraging this
>sort of crappness. I think I speak for all of the
>intelligent people out there when I ask you to please dis
>continue your site. Math is worthless. And all of the people
>who praise it are blind and following a worthless dream.

i guess that english is no picnic for you either, right?
don't call yourself smart, you offend me.


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Niki
guest
Apr-22-04, 07:02 PM (EST)
 
11. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #1
 
   >>I would just like to take this moment to display my hatred
>>toward math. Math sucks. It is the most worthless piece of
>>garbage I have ever seen. I think it was created so those
>>people who were terrible at english and who were just plain
>>stupid would have a chance to be good at something. You
>>people who created this retarded sight are part of the
>>problem. It makes me sick to see the world encouraging this
>>sort of crappness. I think I speak for all of the
>>intelligent people out there when I ask you to please dis
>>continue your site. Math is worthless. And all of the people
>>who praise it are blind and following a worthless dream.
>
>Math can be really hard sometimes but the world would be no where if we didn't have it.... Math is very important and even if
i am only 14 i know what I'm talking about I don't go a day with out seeing math or haveing to do it..... You must be pretty Ignorant because math doesn't suck. Think before you talk I'm sure you would be liked by a whole lot more people. HeH most likely you just can't do math that's why you hate it....
;-)


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Hokey
guest
Mar-01-04, 05:42 PM (EST)
 
2. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   i can tell that you think math is stupid because you were no good at it. Without math in the world we would all be screwed. How do you think all of technology was built? Unless you want to live in a dark and boring world, then you actually like math.


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SomeGuy
guest
Mar-04-04, 01:21 PM (EST)
 
3. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   >I would just like to take this moment to display my hatred
>toward math. Math sucks. It is the most worthless piece of
>garbage I have ever seen. I think it was created so those
>people who were terrible at english and who were just plain
>stupid would have a chance to be good at something. You
>people who created this retarded sight are part of the
>problem. It makes me sick to see the world encouraging this
>sort of crappness. I think I speak for all of the
>intelligent people out there when I ask you to please dis
>continue your site. Math is worthless. And all of the people
>who praise it are blind and following a worthless dream.

Speaking of English:
"You people who created this retarded sight are part of the problem."
Should be:
You people, who created this retarded site, are part of the problem.
You forgot to denote the appositve phrase and you misspelled the word site; site as in website, not sight as in something we are seeing.
"Crappness" should be Crappiness, which isn't really a word either.
"dis continue" is really one word: discontinue.
"Math is worthless. And all of the people who praise it are blind and following a worthless dream." could be better rephrased as one sentence:
Math is worthless, and all of the people who praise it are blind, following a worthless dream.

By the way, I am a Mathematics major.


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Hokey is ....
guest
Mar-05-04, 09:42 PM (EST)
 
5. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #3
 
   Ah, I see trolling on The Web still going strong then :-)
:+


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Anne S.
guest
Mar-04-04, 09:42 PM (EST)
 
4. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   By his own reasoning, he should learn to embrace math--apparently it's his chance to be good at something. heh

I'd normally question why someone would bump a post of this nature after years have passed since its inception, but it certainly was good for a chuckle.

Anyway, on to my thank-you... I'm a BComm. economics student at a reputable university, and I find it surprising how little mathematics is required to get by in my program beyond basic geometry, calculus, and some rather isolated selections of probability math. As a result of being busy with tasks that haven't been particularly challenging in this regard, I regret my appreciation of mathematics has dwindled somewhat along the way.

I happened across your site today after doing a quick Google search for "pythagorean theorem". It presented itself as being useful for solving a practical problem more efficiently than any other means at my disposal, and I realized that much of what I had learned about it had grown dormant. I could recall the equation and graphical representation of the theorem--the basics--and embarrassingly, not much else. However, I found exactly what I was looking for here, and more.

Though I haven't the time to pore over this site today, after looking at a few more sections and playing with a couple puzzles, I was yearning to refresh and enhance my mathematical knowledge to help me find connections between things more easily again. I feel as though I've stumbled upon a rare gem. I've been to other "math help" sites on occasion when questions arose for me, but there's something about the way your site is organized that makes it seem easy and enjoyable to learn from at many levels. I don't feel as though it is all beyond me, and there is so much here to learn. A site like this is certainly an invaluable tool even if you're not a math major.

A serendipitous moment for me... I am sure I will be back. Thank-you.
/babble off


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Ralph Boles
guest
Mar-07-04, 10:58 PM (EST)
 
6. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #4
 
   All kinds of math is used in econ.

Optimal control is the foundation of modern Macro.

Stochastic processes are EVERYWHERE in finance and asset pricing.

Dynamic programming is used extensively in micro and macro.

You simply can not get by without a good understanding of differential equations.

trust me, you need to broaden your horizons a little. Pick up Mas-Collel or Debreu's "theory of value" and you will feed your math Jones.

If you intend to pursue econ you may want to also study Luenberger's "optimization by Vector Space methods."


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Brian
guest
Mar-09-04, 01:08 PM (EST)
 
7. "RE: math is wonderful"
In response to message #0
 
   Part of Hokey's problem is the current state of Mathematics instruction in public schools. Students are often taught procedures without regard for proof or understanding.

He should attend my class. He would definitely put his "English credentials" to work when he has to write formal proofs.


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Becky
guest
Apr-25-04, 12:45 PM (EST)
 
15. "RE: math is wonderful"
In response to message #7
 
   Amen. Math formulas without reason or explanation does make them rather useless.
Becky, Pre-op Math teacher/student


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alexb
Charter Member
1277 posts
Apr-25-04, 12:55 PM (EST)
Click to EMail alexb Click to send private message to alexb Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
16. "RE: math is wonderful"
In response to message #15
 
   >Amen. Math formulas without reason or explanation does make
>them rather useless.

You know, I am not sure that this is true in such a generality. There are books of tables and formulas of almost everything, with a good market value, too. Say, once a fellow has a general idea of volume, the formula

V = 4/3·pR3

for the volume of a sphere with radius R could be used even by those who never saw its derivation.

Not every explanation opens eyes ...



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Fred
guest
Mar-10-04, 02:02 PM (EST)
 
8. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   >I would just like to take this moment to display my hatred
>toward math. Math sucks. It is the most worthless piece of
>garbage I have ever seen. I think it was created so those
>people who were terrible at english and who were just plain
>stupid would have a chance to be good at something. You
>people who created this retarded sight are part of the
>problem. It makes me sick to see the world encouraging this
>sort of crappness. I think I speak for all of the
>intelligent people out there when I ask you to please dis
>continue your site. Math is worthless. And all of the people
>who praise it are blind and following a worthless dream.

Your rambling note just proves your level of inteligence. Without Math and those of us who love it we would still think the earth was the center of the universe, their would be no airplanes or money. There would be no electricity or for that matter any science because math is the language of science and without a language to speak scirentists would not be able to communicate. Also FYi it is the most spoken language in the world as a scientist may be Spanish or French but he can write a math equation in the same manner an English or Russian or Chinese speaking person would so Math is the language that holds the world together Mr Verbal!!!!!!!!


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jaesaces
Member since Mar-15-04
Mar-15-04, 07:06 PM (EST)
Click to EMail jaesaces Click to send private message to jaesaces Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
9. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   You are wrong. math is fun{sometimes} and it is something smart people do a lot.
I bet you couldnt go 1 day w/o using or seeing math!
x( J Smith x(
jaesaces


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jaesaces
Member since Mar-15-04
Mar-15-04, 07:06 PM (EST)
Click to EMail jaesaces Click to send private message to jaesaces Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
10. "RE: math is the greatest"
In response to message #0
 
   jaesaces>sooooo Hokey, since you hate math, you must hate: computers,the internet,adresses,phones,calculators,video games,and money, 'cause they ALL use.....guess what! MATH!!!!!!
*breaths heavily
jaesaces


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trig kid
guest
Apr-23-04, 05:23 PM (EST)
 
12. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   Hokey....how can you think of yourself as intelligent when you lack an aptitude for mathematics? I am also curious about the origin of your comment about math being for people who lack ability in english, considering of course the fact that the majority of people who excel at math are also good at english. Take your close-minded opinions to an area in which mathematical connoisseurs are absent. I may only be 14, but all of this should be elementary!!! :+


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templar
guest
Apr-24-04, 08:51 AM (EST)
 
13. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   If you don't like Maths what are you doing on a Maths web-site ?

Next time you cross a bridge be thankful for that "worthless dream", because it could be just the reason why it doesn't fall down.


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Stacey Wardle
guest
Apr-24-04, 08:51 AM (EST)
 
14. "maths is NOT worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   Maths is not worthless. In fact it is needed for many things in life. Without maths there would be no money along with many other important things. I know that I`m only 12 years old, but I still know that maths is needed in life. Most jobs need good grades for english, maths and science, which is why you can`t drop them like some other subjects when you get to year 9.For your information I am good at maths and english so that is definetly not what maths is for. I just wish you could experience one day without maths, then you wouldn't think it's so worthless anymore. I`m not the only one, there are plenty of people who would agree with what I`ve written as I`ve already seen some simular letters from other people and not one of them agrees with you so why don`t you just think about what you`ve written and what your replies say and hopefully you`ll change your mind.x(


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Neil
guest
Apr-26-04, 09:07 AM (EST)
 
17. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   How curious that our antagonist should chose to express his/her view on the uselessness of maths via a format that utilised so much mathematics. Had he scribbled it on a piece of paper and stuck it to the wall ... oh no, the design of modern adhesive uses maths ... pinned it to a ... wait, no, the factories that make pins things rely on a great deal of logistics, come to think of it the paper's out. Had our protagonist shouted it we might have thought him/her genuine, but to have posted it on the internet, with a computer, does produce a certain irony.


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Some other guy
guest
Apr-28-04, 06:50 AM (EST)
 
18. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   Let's not be too harsh on Hokey for expressing his point of view. After all, those of us who understand the importance of math still need people like Hokey to wash our dishes and clean our toilets.


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mathanono
guest
Apr-30-04, 09:59 AM (EST)
 
19. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   before i get started im just goin to say that i am good at english but i really suck at math.......i am in the 8th grade and i am taking algebra I......my teacher sucks giant beetle balls and she is a giant herself......she makes favorit's all the time and she criticizes people for not understanding......this makes me not like math......if i had a teacher that could teach me and help me to understand it better than the one i have now i would probaly have a different opinion......also we have a program called Accelerated Math.....this program sucks.....it gives out random problems that no one has taught to you and u have to learn it by yourself.....so in conclusion....i dont particularly like math but i know that we have to use it in our everyday lives


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Ralph Boles
guest
May-02-04, 08:52 AM (EST)
 
22. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #19
 
   This brings up a good point made earlier. I would guess that most of us that enjoy math were inspired at some point by a teacher (either in school or out of school). Remembering my own experience in public school in the US and now hearing stories of my teenage cousin's experiences I can sympathize with these kids not liking math. It's not necessarily because they are ignorant, it can also be because their teachers are ignorant.


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Cleaner
guest
May-02-04, 08:52 AM (EST)
 
20. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   some people just have wayyy too much time on their hands.
maybe "hokey" should memorize this aphorism in our common day vernacular -

He who smelt it, dealt it.

1111
Peace


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Bagman
guest
May-02-04, 08:52 AM (EST)
 
21. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   I couldnt disagree more with this statement. Mathematics has propelled humanity to unimaginable heights. Envision a world without mathematics: no basic infrastructure for economy, no monetary system, no electricity, no running water, etc. Without mathematics, our world, our way of life would disintegrate completely. A person who says this must be some kind of amish religous advocate, because our lives are completely integrated with Mathematics.
On the subject of english being a superior subject to I say this: Math is a much more complex and beautiful language than any that mankind could ever devise. It is, somewhat, the divine language. So by shunning mathematics, you are slandering the tongue of God.
A rebuttal by a "Wise Fool", 16 years of age.

Peace


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Ashwin
guest
May-03-04, 12:31 PM (EST)
 
23. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   I'm writing from India, which is probably very far away for most other readers of this site (unless your job was recenty outsourced :+ ) Those jobs don't move out just because labour is cheap here (if that was the only reason, Uganda would be better), but because the people know English and mathematics quite well, even if half of the population is illiterate.
Think about the ancient roots of mathematics: The decimal number system was invented in ancient India and the "mathematicians" of that era were astronomers, astrologers, poets and story-tellers - all in one.
Next came the Greeks who extended it, developed geometry (my favourite) as we know it now. Everyone knows that Aristotle et al were not just "geeks" but astronomers, philosophers and military engineers as well.
Calculus forms the backbone of all other applied sciences - engineering, economics, demography and even politics, to name a few.
Moreover, mathematics is invariably at least a few decades ahead of everything else - trig., field theory, matrices, tensors and four-dimensional geometry were all ready for Maxwell, Lorentz and Einstein when they needed them.
Great people have been developing mathematics over the millenia - even before Christianity appeared. For God's sake, it's older than most of today's religions! Surely, someone who calls this perpetual human endeavour foolish should prove his credentials ;)
By the way, I am surprised to see that students from richer countries also complain about bad schools and teachers - maybe the educational system is the biggest problem. Here we can't get into any science college without studying conics, matrices and calculus but on the other hand, the SAT exams I gave for admission into foreign universities seemed to be middle-school stuff.


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A Blind Man ...
guest
May-03-04, 10:25 PM (EST)
 
24. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #0
 
   I simply don't get it ... did you really think that the people who surf to this site would agree with you ???

Ohh sure, you have every right to form your own opinion (stupid) ... but you chose to form it ON THIS SITE ... With some Terrible mistakes in basic english, and also dare to "Speak For Us All" ...

For your knoladge, people who study math and/or understand it, have much grater chance to be good in Phelosophy, Sience, Hi-Tec etc... or become an Architect, Doctor (medicine or whatever), Programmer, Philosopher etc...

In conclusion, You obiously SUCK in math, your english is not encuriging eather, and the choice of where to "display your hatred to math" tells us just how brilliant you are. So when you say "the intelligent people out there" I am not sure who you want them to be cause I can't imagine intelegence coming form your mind.

I think that I speak for us all (blind men following a worthless dream or not) when I say: the fact that you don't like something, doesn't mean it is worthless, and keep your opinions eather to yourself, or to those who would like to hear them.


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Rosie
guest
May-03-04, 11:11 PM (EST)
 
25. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #24
 
   Math is not worthless. I am a math major, and with my mathematical knowledge, I excel in physics and chemistry. But I also excel in music, philosophy, history, French, Latin, sociology and psychology. One thing that I realize is that all my friends who are math majors also excel in almost every subject. Therefore, math is not for dummies.
Without math, there would be no houses since geometry is important in the making of a house. There would be no cars, no computers, no airplane, just to name a few. In other word, this world would not exist.


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sfwc
Member since Jun-19-03
May-04-04, 10:33 AM (EST)
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26. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #24
 
   >I think that I speak for us all (blind men following a
>worthless dream or not)
You do not speak for me.

>when I say: the fact that you don't
>like something, doesn't mean it is worthless,
This, of course, is true.

>and keep your
>opinions eather to yourself, or to those who would like to
>hear them.
But I disagree with this sentiment. If you were only ever told things you would like to hear, you would not develop. Think about it: Do you want a world of 'Yes men'? Well, maybe you didn't intend to take it that far. But I hope you see my point. Of course, some opinions are silly. But this is not because people disagree with them.

I love maths as much as the next man, and of course I disagree with the original post on this thread. But the personal abuse which has since been levelled at hokey, and indeed at those who don't see the value of maths, is completely unnecessary.

Enough is enough.

Thankyou

sfwc
<><


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Guest19
guest
May-19-04, 01:17 PM (EST)
 
27. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #26
 
   Math IS useless, all the "technology" that it gave birth to is insignificant. Math has led mankind to develop a method to destroy the Earth in the form of the atom bomb. You know it's true. Where does math ultimately lead to? TOTAL DESTRUCTION.

The world would be a better place without you bean counters that tell people they have to worry about everything "because the numbers show..."


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alexb
Charter Member
1277 posts
May-19-04, 01:37 PM (EST)
Click to EMail alexb Click to send private message to alexb Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
29. "RE: math is worthless"
In response to message #27
 
   >Math IS useless, all the "technology" that it gave birth to
>is insignificant. Math has led mankind to develop a method
>to destroy the Earth in the form of the atom bomb. You know
>it's true.

Yes. So? Is the ability to destroy the Earth insignificant? I can't believe any one of Earth dwellers could entertain such a thought.

>Where does math ultimately lead to? TOTAL
>DESTRUCTION.

Far as I can judge, it did not so far.

>The world would be a better place without you bean counters

How do you know? It's one thing to point out a fact (as, for example, the many uses of mathematics). It's quite a different thing to indulge in wishful thinking or prognostication.

I also wonder whether the world without bean counters is possible. They did not pop out from a crack in a volcano. They guys are around as a result of the natural selection.

>that tell people they have to worry about everything
>"because the numbers show..."

They do show a lot.

P.S. To the readers: I am closing this thread. I feel that both the pro and contra views have been expressed in sufficient depth. There is already enough reading for each side.


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