American Innumeracy

[Sheilbh]

Listed as taking a singular verb in multiple definitions, and as "usually singular in construction" from Merriam-Webster.

Yeah it's a plural that's normally treated as a singular in most sentences - for example 'math/s/ematics is difficult'.

[DGuller]

Can you people stop hijacking this thread?  The subject is American innumeracy, not British illiteracy.

[dps]

Can you people stop hijacking this thread?  The subject is American innumeracy, not British illiteracy.

Just 2 sides of the same coin--most people are morons.  The difference is, Americans reveal their stupidity when they try to balance their checkbooks, Brits reveal their stupidity every time they speak or write using one of their foul dialects.

[Eddie Teach]

Mathematics is *a* system of manipulating numbers, so whether you abbreviate it with an s or not, it remains a singular.

[Zanza]

Referring to the original article: I agree with the author that you need to know a certain amount of math to function well in our society. Especially when it comes to credit payments or progressively rising tariffs for insurances and the like most people don't comprehend what's going on and pay too much.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Maths is fucking annoying and makes me want to start breaking bones

if you look down you'll find two -hopefully- with which to begin, giving you a headstart. :p

[Maximus]

With math though...you reduce mathematics from its all-encompassing plural nature to some pathetic singular thing. There is more than one question. More than one formula. More than one number. It is maths. Not math.

Seeing it as more than one thing is part of the problem.

A more serious problem in the US, I think, is the culturally accepted preconceived notion that math is hard and it's ok to not get it.

After all, there are calculators to do that stuff right? But who's going to build the calculators?

[DisturbedPervert]

But who's going to build the calculators?

Asians

[Maximus]

I think that was my point.

[sbr]

With math though...you reduce mathematics from its all-encompassing plural nature to some pathetic singular thing. There is more than one question. More than one formula. More than one number. It is maths. Not math.

Seeing it as more than one thing is part of the problem.

A more serious problem in the US, I think, is the culturally accepted preconceived notion that math is hard and it's ok to not get it.

My daughter in high school does that.  She just "doesn't get" algebra, and can't understand why I won't accept that as an answer.  She is a smart kid, gets mostly A's with some B's mixed in but seems to think that not getting it is the end.  Any attempts by me to explain or help her find the answers to her questions is a waste of time.

[jimmy olsen]

With math though...you reduce mathematics from its all-encompassing plural nature to some pathetic singular thing. There is more than one question. More than one formula. More than one number. It is maths. Not math.

Seeing it as more than one thing is part of the problem.

A more serious problem in the US, I think, is the culturally accepted preconceived notion that math is hard and it's ok to not get it.

My daughter in high school does that.  She just "doesn't get" algebra, and can't understand why I won't accept that as an answer.  She is a smart kid, gets mostly A's with some B's mixed in but seems to think that not getting it is the end.  Any attempts by me to explain or help her find the answers to her questions is a waste of time.

Sounds like a case of "nothing that's hard to do is worth doing". That can be a big problem when kids get out into the real world and find things aren't easy.

[Neil]

I think you have a bad grasp on geography.
This might come as a shock to you but Ireland and Britain are two separate islands.

Both are part of the British Isles, no matter how unpleasant that is for you terrorist assholes.

[CountDeMoney]

Contrary to popular belief, there are absolutely no real-world applications for mathematics.

[Grey Fox]

Maths.

Colour.

Fucking Rebels

[CountDeMoney]