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Monday, April 10, 2017

The American " cult of ignorance " spreads to Math teaching ? Higher Math is a SHIT DETECTOR !


Do We Really Need To Learn Advanced Math? One Professor's Case For A More 'Practical' Approach

Tell a high school physics teacher that calculus has nothing to do with the real world ? The essence of the " real world " for science is MATTER IN MOTION and CHANGE.

 Calculus deals with a world in motion and instantaneous rates of change. Almost all your high school math courses - including introductory calculus -come together- making pragmatic and theoretical sense - in First Year Physics.

 All that really matters for philistines is consumer math, of course.

Science literacy is all but impossible without elementary algebra- the language of science. And the ABCs of statistics can discredit fraudulent advertising claims; or nonsense like " people are living longer nowadays and so we must reset the Social Security retirement age to 70."

In other words higher math is a  SHIT  detector- a threat to the capitalist profit system.

Years ago a Professor Morris Kline wrote a book titled " Why the Professor Can't Teach " ( including calculus ) . It is still relevant.

Kline also wrote " Mathematics and the Physical World ". For Kline math has a lot to do with the real world.


Image result for morris kline why the professor can't teach

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