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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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