Attended an Opera just then. It was absolutely hilarious. I wish we had better seats though. It was rather difficult to view from the back, and we were reduced to watching a giant screen.
Here's the wiki for it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus_in_the_Underworld
The website for the Opera I actually attended:
http://www.waopera.asn.au/article.aspx?c=18&a=5
Memorable Quotes: "I had more fun in Adelaide" by Cupid when complaining to Jupiter about how boring Mount Olympus is.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Fear of Mathematics
Hardy, Godfrey H. (1877 - 1947)
The fact is that there are few more "popular" subjects than mathematics. Most people have some appreciation of mathematics, just as most people can enjoy a pleasant tune; and there are probably more people really interested in mathematics than in music. Appearances may suggest the contrary, but there are easy explanations. Music can be used to stimulate mass emotion, while mathematics cannot; and musical incapacity is recognized (no doubt rightly) as mildly discreditable, whereas most people are so frightened of the name of mathematics that they are ready, quite unaffectedly, to exaggerate their own mathematical stupidity.
A Mathematician's Apology, London, Cambridge University Press, 1941.
I find that this occurs quite often when I'm tutoring people who are doing courses which have maths units in them, but are not doing math courses, and also when people ask me what I study.
It is quite absurd that they would say, "I'm so bad at maths hey," and in the next breath, boast about their other qualities and achievements. It's so hilariously paradoxical. What's even funnier is that this statement was already being said about 50 years ago, and Mr Hardy made a note of it in his book.
Their statement of being bad at maths can be broken into two types, the ones that have only a brief idea of the different areas of maths, and the other, a lack of understanding as to how to do well in maths.
A vast majority of people consider maths to just be what they've learnt up to in highschool, or some, in primary school. They don't see the applications of maths already in their lives, and the ways in which it can help to improve their lives.
I'm not good... at mental calculations. I am not good at it because I have not practiced consistently. It is not due to lack of ability, but lack of practice. Lack of practice and understanding is what causes people to think that they are bad at maths when they try to do it the first time around. Yeah.. that makes lots of sense.. The first time you play golf, you hit a hole in one. lol.. Seriously.. A lot of these people are not stupid. It's just that they fear that they won't understand, and they choose to ignore it. Willful ignorance.. that's just sad.
The fact is that there are few more "popular" subjects than mathematics. Most people have some appreciation of mathematics, just as most people can enjoy a pleasant tune; and there are probably more people really interested in mathematics than in music. Appearances may suggest the contrary, but there are easy explanations. Music can be used to stimulate mass emotion, while mathematics cannot; and musical incapacity is recognized (no doubt rightly) as mildly discreditable, whereas most people are so frightened of the name of mathematics that they are ready, quite unaffectedly, to exaggerate their own mathematical stupidity.
A Mathematician's Apology, London, Cambridge University Press, 1941.
I find that this occurs quite often when I'm tutoring people who are doing courses which have maths units in them, but are not doing math courses, and also when people ask me what I study.
It is quite absurd that they would say, "I'm so bad at maths hey," and in the next breath, boast about their other qualities and achievements. It's so hilariously paradoxical. What's even funnier is that this statement was already being said about 50 years ago, and Mr Hardy made a note of it in his book.
Their statement of being bad at maths can be broken into two types, the ones that have only a brief idea of the different areas of maths, and the other, a lack of understanding as to how to do well in maths.
A vast majority of people consider maths to just be what they've learnt up to in highschool, or some, in primary school. They don't see the applications of maths already in their lives, and the ways in which it can help to improve their lives.
I'm not good... at mental calculations. I am not good at it because I have not practiced consistently. It is not due to lack of ability, but lack of practice. Lack of practice and understanding is what causes people to think that they are bad at maths when they try to do it the first time around. Yeah.. that makes lots of sense.. The first time you play golf, you hit a hole in one. lol.. Seriously.. A lot of these people are not stupid. It's just that they fear that they won't understand, and they choose to ignore it. Willful ignorance.. that's just sad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Technorati
