From the BBC website:

"The BBC Weather Centre said visibility had dropped to 50m (164ft) in
places."

Of course nobody had said 164 feet. 50 metres is clearly a round
figure and should have been converted (why that is deemed necessary
beats me) to a round figure, eg 50 yards. "The Times" and the media
in general don't seem to grasp the concept that you should not convert
approximate figures into apparently accurate figures in different
units. Only last week, The Times had an article about sail powered
ships with the kite flying at heights of "up to 300 metres (984
feet)".

Surely these writers - or sub editors - had to pass GCSE maths?
Conversion and rounding is in the curriculum.

Jack

Surely these writers - or sub editors - had to pass GCSE maths?

Jack
------------------
No chance! Have you noticed how Jeremy Paxman ridicules students who get
some obscure degree level arts question wrong in University Challenge but
congratulates them enthusiastically if they know the chemical symbol for
lead!

Dave

Surely these writers - or sub editors - had to pass GCSE maths?

Jack
------------------
No chance! Have you noticed how Jeremy Paxman ridicules students who get
some obscure degree level arts question wrong in University Challenge but
congratulates them enthusiastically if they know the chemical symbol for
lead!

Hear hear...agree, now I have my grumpy hat on.

"John T" wrote in message
. uk...
Surely these writers - or sub editors - had to pass GCSE maths?

Jack
------------------
No chance! Have you noticed how Jeremy Paxman ridicules students who get
some obscure degree level arts question wrong in University Challenge but
congratulates them enthusiastically if they know the chemical symbol for
lead!

Hear hear...agree, now I have my grumpy hat on.



Most people are extremely dumb when it comes to maths!

Will (Second class Honours graduate in mathematics)
--

On 24 Dec, 10:02, "Will Hand" wrote:

Most people are extremely dumb when it comes to maths!

Will (Second class Honours graduate in mathematics)

One up to you Will. I only got a "pass" in maths (well, I called it
"sums")

Jack

"Will Hand" wrote in message ...

Most people are extremely dumb when it comes to maths!
I blame the media. Once upon a time a certain cartoon wasn't afraid to make
maths jokes (even if they did do it in a rather odd way):

"Teacher: So y = r cubed over 3. And if you determine the rate of change in
this curve correctly, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
[The class laughs except for Bart who appears confused.]
Teacher: Don't you get it, Bart? Derivative dy = 3 r squared dr over 3, or
r squared dr, or r dr r."
--from "Bart the Genius", an old Simpsons episode

These days they wouldn't to dare attempt such a thing.

Then again, when I've been selling things at the wolf centre I've had people
look at me as if I'm doing black magic when, after selling goods worth
£6.15, I hand over £3.85 change without having to use a calculator! They've
got a till in there now, so I can't pull that trick any more, sadly.

(And I'm impressed, Will - I had to do a maths module in my course at Uni
and I swear if I see any more integration questions in my life I'll go
la-la!)

On Mon, 24 Dec 2007 10:02:29 -0000, "Will Hand"
wrote:


"John T" wrote in message
.uk...
Surely these writers - or sub editors - had to pass GCSE maths?

Jack
------------------
No chance! Have you noticed how Jeremy Paxman ridicules students who get
some obscure degree level arts question wrong in University Challenge but
congratulates them enthusiastically if they know the chemical symbol for
lead!

Hear hear...agree, now I have my grumpy hat on.



Most people are extremely dumb when it comes to maths!

Will (Second class Honours graduate in mathematics)

I am extremely dumb when trying to subtract darts scores, and I am
hopeless at Sudoku.

Martin (2.1 honours graduate in mathematics)

JPG wrote:

On Mon, 24 Dec 2007 10:02:29 -0000, "Will Hand"
wrote:


"John T" wrote in message
o.uk...
Surely these writers - or sub editors - had to pass GCSE maths?

Jack
------------------
No chance! Have you noticed how Jeremy Paxman ridicules students who
get some obscure degree level arts question wrong in University
Challenge but congratulates them enthusiastically if they know the
chemical symbol for lead!

Hear hear...agree, now I have my grumpy hat on.



Most people are extremely dumb when it comes to maths!

Will (Second class Honours graduate in mathematics)

I am extremely dumb when trying to subtract darts scores, and I am
hopeless at Sudoku.

Martin (2.1 honours graduate in mathematics)

I have the same trouble with darts scores and am also about the last to
notice when a snooker player has passed the point that leaves his opponent
needing snookers.

Sudoku is different as that doesn't need mental arithmetic but logic and I
have little trouble with it. However, I'm occasionally having problems with
the Independent who have been issuing the occasional insoluble puzzle -
except by using guesswork - over the past six months or so.

No degree for me - I realised I had to start work - so only got a couple of
maths A-levels followed many years later with an HNC.

--
Graham P Davis, Bracknell, Berks., UK. E-mail: newsman, not newsboy.
"What use is happiness? It can't buy you money." [Chic Murray, 1919-85]

Will Hand wrote:

Most people are extremely dumb when it comes to maths!

No, most people are extremely dumb. Many of the undergraduates that I
have taught over the last four years are testament to this. (For
example, having to explain to someone about 5 weeks into their Computer
Science degree what the "Start" button does...)

However, this is more an indictment on the system that propels young
people into universities. The school system breeds young adults that
can't read, can't write, can't add up, can't learn for themselves and
expect the answers to be given to them on a plate. Even when the answer
is given to them on a plate they have trouble comprehending this fact.
(For example, the increasing use of multiple-choice exams at university
level - and the increasing number of students who fail to read the
instructions for said exams.)

Of course there are many, many people who are more than adept but the
fact remains that a significant minority (approaching half in my
opinion) of undergraduates would be better off doing something else.

--
Jonathan Stott
Canterbury Weather: http://www.canterburyweather.co.uk/
Reverse my e-mail address to reply by e-mail

Jonathan Stott wrote:
Will Hand wrote:

Most people are extremely dumb when it comes to maths!

No, most people are extremely dumb. Many of the undergraduates that I
have taught over the last four years are testament to this. (For
example, having to explain to someone about 5 weeks into their Computer
Science degree what the "Start" button does...)

However, this is more an indictment on the system that propels young
people into universities.

Any system geared up to give degrees of whatsit in the use of Windows
is perilously close to inept. Corruption belongs to those who can't.
(Those that can use Linux.)