60% of girls aged 18-21 cannot do basic addition/subtraction w/o calculator

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: 3NF

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: 3NF
Just think, these kids will be in charge when you're retired.

These are my peers sadly.

Then I hope you're in charge

I'm just supposed to be security and putting on bracelets after they pay but the owner now tells the cashiers if they have any issues refer to me. :sigh;

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
The poor woman was so confused by this that she had to go get help, even after my dad explained it to her. After the supervisor explained it to her, she started crying.

:laugh:

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
It's pretty poor but, I do want to note that cashiering skills have nothing to do with the ability to subtract other than doing a reality check.

Good cashiers count FORWARD from the amount owed til they reach the amount given. Anyone who hires cashiers and can't explain this clearly is as hopeless as those unable to do simple arithmetic.

That said, not everyone can be a good cashier even if they can do simple arithmetic in their heads anymore than anyone can be a good dishwasher. Both jobs take a certain skill set which has nothing to do with intelligence.

ok well then they can't count either forward or backward.

 

[lyssword]

Is the answer 16? *looks for a calculator*

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: destrekor
I very much believe this is true. Why? Men are proven to be more visually minded, and better geared toward arithmetic. It's the testosterone. Kind of funny, because on National Geographic last night, there was an hour-long special on testosterone and they studied it's effects on males in multiple lifeforms.

The unfortunate thing about these studies is that they are often biased from the start. Society at large wants studies to say, "Men and women are perfectly equal." Anything contrary to that is attacked by rabid extremists on either side as "sexist." As such, the "results" are known before the experiment begins. Well guess what, nature didn't have equality in mind while we were developing. If it did, there would be one sex, and everyone would look exactly the same.

 

[rbV5]

You'd get a kick out of the folks that struggle with our 24 hour clocks at the Water Plant

 

[lyssword]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: destrekor
I very much believe this is true. Why? Men are proven to be more visually minded, and better geared toward arithmetic. It's the testosterone. Kind of funny, because on National Geographic last night, there was an hour-long special on testosterone and they studied it's effects on males in multiple lifeforms.

The unfortunate thing about these studies is that they are often biased from the start. Society at large wants studies to say, "Men and women are perfectly equal." Anything contrary to that is attacked by rabid extremists on either side as "sexist." As such, the "results" are known before the experiment begins. Well guess what, nature didn't have equality in mind while we were developing. If it did, there would be one sex, and everyone would look exactly the same.

Maybe it's the culture and young girls think math is for "geeks" or whatever. I have 2 older sisters and they can surely add and subtract

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: lyssword

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: destrekor
I very much believe this is true. Why? Men are proven to be more visually minded, and better geared toward arithmetic. It's the testosterone. Kind of funny, because on National Geographic last night, there was an hour-long special on testosterone and they studied it's effects on males in multiple lifeforms.

The unfortunate thing about these studies is that they are often biased from the start. Society at large wants studies to say, "Men and women are perfectly equal." Anything contrary to that is attacked by rabid extremists on either side as "sexist." As such, the "results" are known before the experiment begins. Well guess what, nature didn't have equality in mind while we were developing. If it did, there would be one sex, and everyone would look exactly the same.

Maybe it's the culture and young girls think math is for "geeks" or whatever. I have 2 older sisters and they can surely add and subtract

or the very least memorize!

 

[Jschmuck2]

Originally posted by: Imp
What about men?

Oh and were those 60% part of the in-crowd? You know, the ones that have losers who so want to be in doing their homework? I knew a few of these people back in the day.

Wow. Bitter grudge from high school much?

 

[Tiamat]

Hired for looks, not for the brains it seems. They figure they can get by with that attitude as well. Its a terrible cycle.

 

[Anubis]

its prob true, think about it if you were born in 1990 you would be 17-18 right now, you would have been 8-10 when computers got huge and have prob used one every day in school or at home for homework, you simply arnt asked to do things by hand anymore, literally everything from about 6th grade on is done with a calc provided its not a big long equation you need to factor, i used to sub at my local school alot all kids 9-12 have a TI83 or better and most primary schoolers have a normal calc to do work with, sad possibily, unexpected no, technology makes things easier, puching buttons is easier then thinking

hell im 26 and have a degree in physics and work as an engineer and i can not do long division by hand, because i havent don it in 8 years, 1st day in college we used a calc or a comp for everything, hell we even had large equation tables where we would just look shit up

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
Hired for looks, not for the brains it seems. They figure they can get by with that attitude as well. Its a terrible cycle.

This doesn't explain how they made it passed high school and into college!

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: 3NF
I don't know. My brother told me that his 13 year old son has to ask the cashier how much money he should get back, and yet he is supposedly learning this "new age" math.

New age math is one of the biggest crocks I've ever heard of. First, it only works for students who actually deeply care about learning. Second, isn't it also like the whole class waits on the last student to learn every lesson? It goes at such a snail's pace.

I know math very well myself, and my cousin's kids are going through new age math. I looked at some of the assignments, took me a while to figure out what they are getting at. In high school I was on the math team winning the regional events, I know my stuff. My cousin's son is one of the better students in his class, but even when I try to tell him what the lessen is really trying to teach, he doesn't understand it at all. He's just taking objects and rearranging them because the instructions tell him too, he gets good grades without learning a damn thing.

Self confidence while you're young is far more important than the inevitable disaster later on in life, I guess.

 

[DougK62]

I assume they're attractive? That would explain it. They've skated by so far on their looks and will try to keep doing it.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Anubis
...

hell im 26 and have a degree in physics and work as an engineer and i can not do long division by hand, because i havent don it in 8 years, 1st day in college we used a calc or a comp for everything, hell we even had large equation tables where we would just look shit up

Well see, that's perfectly fine, because long division makes baby Jesus cry.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: Anubis
its prob true, think about it if you were born in 1990 you would be 17-18 right now, you would have been 8-10 when computers got huge and have prob used one every day in school or at home for homework, you simply arnt asked to do things by hand anymore, literally everything from about 6th grade on is done with a calc provided its not a big long equation you need to factor, i used to sub at my local school alot all kids 9-12 have a TI83 or better and most primary schoolers have a normal calc to do work with, sad possibily, unexpected no, technology makes things easier, puching buttons is easier then thinking

hell im 26 and have a degree in physics and work as an engineer and i can not do long division by hand, because i havent don it in 8 years, 1st day in college we used a calc or a comp for everything, hell we even had large equation tables where we would just look shit up

yes but When you buy something for 12 dollars and give the cashier a 20 can you figure out what you are supposed to be getting back? Can you memorize things?

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: destrekor
I very much believe this is true. Why? Men are proven to be more visually minded, and better geared toward arithmetic. It's the testosterone. Kind of funny, because on National Geographic last night, there was an hour-long special on testosterone and they studied it's effects on males in multiple lifeforms.

The unfortunate thing about these studies is that they are often biased from the start. Society at large wants studies to say, "Men and women are perfectly equal." Anything contrary to that is attacked by rabid extremists on either side as "sexist." As such, the "results" are known before the experiment begins. Well guess what, nature didn't have equality in mind while we were developing. If it did, there would be one sex, and everyone would look exactly the same.

well the NatGeo study was actually very seemingly unbiased, as they watched the behavior of chimps, and even fish. And they did some judging on humans, but a lot of our behavior in the modern world is hard to equate to testosterone levels due to the complexity of our lives. We can't simply push others around, declare a city block our territory and be the dominant male that gets all the ladies in that block. If we could, our lives we be so much simpler.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: destrekor

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: destrekor
I very much believe this is true. Why? Men are proven to be more visually minded, and better geared toward arithmetic. It's the testosterone. Kind of funny, because on National Geographic last night, there was an hour-long special on testosterone and they studied it's effects on males in multiple lifeforms.

The unfortunate thing about these studies is that they are often biased from the start. Society at large wants studies to say, "Men and women are perfectly equal." Anything contrary to that is attacked by rabid extremists on either side as "sexist." As such, the "results" are known before the experiment begins. Well guess what, nature didn't have equality in mind while we were developing. If it did, there would be one sex, and everyone would look exactly the same.

well the NatGeo study was actually very seemingly unbiased, as they watched the behavior of chimps, and even fish. And they did some judging on humans, but a lot of our behavior in the modern world is hard to equate to testosterone levels due to the complexity of our lives. We can't simply push others around, declare a city block our territory and be the dominant male that gets all the ladies in that block. If we could, our lives we be so much simpler.

damn beta males and their societal structures!

 

[Mo0o]

I dont think it's any surprise that the average American is an idiot

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
I dont think it's any surprise that the average American is an idiot

i know its just much worse than I'd previously thought. Even your crack dealing street level hustler who dropped outta school can do math. Thats how he knows how much crack he must sell to turn a profit etc..

 

[mordantmonkey]

wait... didn't you work in a strip club? somehow i could be convinced 60% of all strippers need a calulator.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: mordantmonkey
wait... didn't you work in a strip club? somehow i could be convinced 60% of all strippers need a calulator.

no this is a regular club . And the strippers could atleast count their money!!!

 

[theprodigalrebel]

It's true. A lot of small-time grocers/stores here don't have cash registers. They just add numbers up on a calculator and tell you how much you owe them (or jot down items, qty & price on a piece of paper with pen). It's odd when you see a guy take 5 seconds to slowly add 12+13+5 = 30 on a calculator.

I always figured it must be out of habit. But I'm sure it's not so always.

The cigarette/paan shop guys surprise me though. Let's say I buy something worth twenty rupees and I pay him using all the coins I have. I put all my (1,2,5 rupee) coins on the counter, the dude takes two-three seconds to glance at the coins and then hands a one rupee coin back saying, "You gave me an extra buck." It always baffles me how the cigarette/paan shop guys can add up a whole bunch of coins so fast.

Sometimes, uneducated paan shop dude > high school kids

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: rbV5
You'd get a kick out of the folks that struggle with our 24 hour clocks at the Water Plant

24 hours clocks confuse a lot of US citizens, because we never use it. It's simple subtraction-based math, if >12 then subtract 12 and there's you PM time. Is that challenging? Far from it, but it's a concept that has to be learned and applied more often. And involves a little spatial-visual brain function that has to either come naturally or be learned. Everyone can teach their brain new tricks, but for some those tricks must truly be learned, while for others they are kind of there naturally and only need to be tapped if currently hidden. make sense? heh

 

[secretanchitman]

I agree...some girls I know in college still need a calculator for basic math. percentages...fine whatever, but simple stuff like 9*6 or 8*7 should be known. I actually see this a lot in my college too.