On 16-11-2009 21:40, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
>>> If you can't add, you're going to have a bit of a problem doing your 
>>> weekly shopping, but there's not much need for higher math unless 
>>> you're working in some specialist industry somewhere.
>>
>> You'd be surprised how many industries require specialist knowledge 
>> :-)  For example, I suspect the structural engineer that designed your 
>> building did plenty of calculations using calculus. Ditto for an 
>> electrical engineer who designed the power supply for your computer.
> 
> I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the number of people who 
> actually do that kind of things are a tiny minority.
> 
> As far as I can tell, the majority of people in the world have jobs 
> like... Telemarketing. Driving trucks. Working in an office doing 
> filing. Fitting central heating systems. Hotel receptionists.

But for those who do there is a window in their development during which 
they are most capable of learning maths. So you try to teach them in 
that period. Besides it is part of our culture. OTOH I know there are 
those cultural barbarians that think that it is cool not to know maths, 
like politicians and most other public figures.

> None of these seem to require knowledge of calculus. In fact, jobs that 
> *do* require such knowledge are seemingly so absurdly rare that I almost 
> find it difficult to believe they exist.

So I don't exist? Nor do many of my collegues?
I think I disagree.

> I mean, doing a job that requires mathematics is like being an olympic 
> athlete. Hypothetically, anybody can become an olympian. But seriously 
> guys, how many olympians have you personally met?

none, but I can name a few who know a lot of them.

You could also have asked for e.g. opera singers. Most people also know 
none of those. OTOH I think I have met more than 10.

So it is all just a matter of who you know and who they know.

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