I’ve always known I suck at math. I can’t do simple addition and subtraction in my head without going through some convoluted process that always involves the number ten. But this morning I surprised even myself.
My dad’s been looking for a set of books for a while and I finally found all seven of them for $49. So he asked me how much that worked out to be per book. Of course I had no idea, so I pulled out the calculator and inputted 49/7 and pressed enter. Of course, the number 7 pops up. At that point most people would be like…Oh duh…of course. Nope. Not me. I immediately thought that the calculator was busted. Why was it giving me the number 7 again? Did I accidentally erase 49 somehow? Well, thankfully it only lasted about 15 seconds before I realized that it was the answer. I sometimes wonder if I’m so right-brained that the left side just gave up trying. :smack:
Oh yeah…last week I needed to calculate 7 times 9.
One part of my brain immediately said 63…but the other part said, “That doesn’t look right.”
I actually had to use the calculator to prove one half of me is smart.
The other half is stupid.
And the other half is undecided.
Someone here on SDMB (Chiroptera, I think?) was posting a few months ago about how she has the math equivalent of dyslexia. I’d guess you’re not stupid at ALL, but just have a form of that (forgot the name of the condition).
In the distant future, humans live in a computer-aided society and have forgotten the fundamentals of mathematics, including even the rudimentary skill of counting.
The Terrestrial Federation is at war with Deneb, and the war is conducted by long-range weapons controlled by computers which are expensive and hard to replace. Myron Aub, a low grade Technician, discovers how to reverse-engineer the principles of pencil-and-paper arithmetic from computers—a development which is later dubbed “Graphitics”. The discovery is appropriated by the military establishment, who use it to re-invent their understanding of mathematics. They also plan to replace their computer-operated ships with lower cost, more expendable (in their opinion) manned ships to continue the war.“Aub! How much is nine times seven?”
Aub hesitated a moment. His pale eyes glimmered with a feeble anxiety. “Sixty-three,” he said.
Congressman Brant lifted his eyebrows. “Is that right?”
“Check it for yourself, Congressman.”
The congressman took out his pocket computer, nudged the milled edges twice, looked at its face as it lay there in the palm of his hand, and put it back. He said, “Is this the gift you brought us here to demonstrate. An illusionist?”
I view math as a way of life; and if you’re alien to that kind of life, you’ll never be good at it. As a college stude and a mine geologist, it was easy to picture equations. One can easily see the relation, and you’re counting the number of unknowns and equations even before someone states the problem.
You’re not necessarily as bad at math as you think! As a matter of fact, simple addition and subtraction (whether in your head or on paper) DOES often involve the number ten! So you’re “convoluted process” may well actually be exactly the right thing to do. It’s technically called “carrying” or “borrowing”.
It was $49 for a set of 7 books. 7 goes into 49 exactly 7 times with nothing left over. It’s basic multiplication tables that most people get drilled into them by the third grade.
I read that story years ago too and thought it was a funny but outlandish look into the far future.
But it’s not that long ago that most people knew by heart the phone numbers of their closest family members/friends at least, and likely several other numbers too. Now the only phone number I know is my own. I don’t even know my own kid’s phone numbers, I mean there’s just no need any more.
Not a far stretch from forgetting the times tables because there’s no need to do even the simplest sum any more. I hope it doesn’t come to that but a couple of years ago I was in a shop when the power went out. I was buying ONE item and the staff member struggled to figure out the change in her head when I handed over a $20 note. She told me a figure and asked if it was right - I said ‘no, it should be $7.85’ or whatever it was. I wish I could report she got out her phone to check the answer but actually she dug out a calculator from under the counter.
I think this is one of those areas (which I love to bitch about) where the technology created the problem, but not quite in the way we think.
When you use a calculator, how do you enter it? “20 - 12.15,” right? And the answer is “7.85”. Well, that actually is kind of hard to do in your head. Subraction of multiple digits, especially with zeros you have to borrow for. That’s not “modern technology is making us stupid,” that really is tricky to keep straight for most of us, and always has been. Even my great grandfather would have kept a scrap of paper and a pencil on the counter to do that (I know this; there are a bunch of old ledgers in Grandma’s basement with just such scribbles in the margins.)
But back when people made change, they didn’t subtract. They added. Or, rather, counted up. And that’s screamingly easy, especially if you have little bits of coin and paper to keep track of your progress.
I start with the purchase price, 12.15
And and a dime is 12.25.
And three quarters is 13
And two singles is fifteen
And a five is 20
And now I stop, because I’m up to what you gave me. I’ve given you merchandise and cash in an equal amount to the cash you gave me.
No subtraction needed. But “kids today” think you have to subtract to find the answer, because that *is *how you do it on a calculator. They’re trying to “think” like a calculator, not a person.
And “The Feeling of Power” remains my favorite Asimov story.
I know two phone numbers - my wife’s, and the number I have to call if I’m sick and not going to go in to work. I have no reason at all to know my own number.
Since I don’t own a cell phone, I do keep phone #s in my head. I can beat my husband recalling a number, because he has to find his glasses, turn on his phone, go to the contacts list and scroll to the number. I just dial.
I don’t see what’s unusual about knowing one’s own phone number. Sure, you don’t call yourself, but it seems to be an essential piece of info to know if you fill out applications where you’re required to give your contact info. What do people do, pull their phone out of their pocket to look up their own phone number when filling out a form? I grew up before there were cell phones and it seemed that every kid had their home phone number drilled into their head so they could reach their parents in case of an emergency.
What about when it’s requested? What a weird thing to say. I don’t know how many times I’ve repeated the ten digits of my phone number; either vocally or numerically over the phone. I could repeat it in my sleep. Do you have the number to your phone laminated on the back of it?
I can’t believe how many times it’s come in handy to have memorized my Drivers Lic, Bank Acct #, Library Card (esp. for online eBook checkout), Soc Sec #… and of course my phone number. Which, by the way is “Crank the handle and ask Myrtle down at the ex-change to put ya through to Bluemound Eight Fourteen.”
Yeah, I’m old, so if I can keep track of a few numbers, so can you whippersnappers.
My bank account number has stymied me. Not sure why, it’s got to be less than a dozen digits and half of them are zero, but it just won’t stick in my head. Luckily, it’s one of those numbers I used to need, but don’t anymore. I just hand the teller my ATM card and they write the number in the deposit slip. (I suffer under the delusion that my deposit is less likely to be held before availability if I use the counter. The teller assures me this isn’t true and I can use the ATM for deposits in the same timeframe, but whenever I do, my rent is late because my deposit is delayed.)
I can tell you my best friends’ phone numbers from 30 years ago, but I couldn’t tell you my son’s from today.
