Random Thread

[leib10]

This worked well at the other forum I've belonged to over the years. Just make a random comment or post something of interest that doesn't warrant a new thread.

[leib10]

To start if off:

Deputy mistakes pistol for Taser

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13512149/

BREMERTON, Wash. - A sheriff's deputy who was trying to get a man down from a tree shot and wounded him after mistakenly pulling a gun instead of a Taser, authorities say.

The deputy, a five-year veteran of the force whose name was not released, was placed on leave while Thursday's shooting is investigated.

Deputies carry both a Taser and a gun on their utility belts. The Taser, or stun gun, is similar in shape to the compact .40-caliber gun the deputy carried, sheriff's spokesman Scott Wilson said.

The victim was listed in satisfactory condition.

The man had climbed a fig tree and stayed there for hours, talking to himself. Deputies were unsure whether he was intoxicated or psychotic, and they wanted to get him down before he hurt himself or others, Wilson said.

Deputies and rescue workers tried to coax him down for almost two hours, during which he became increasingly hostile, said David Blakeslee, an employee at an auto repair shop nearby.

Blakeslee said the man climbed down on his own after getting shot.

"He said, `Ow, that hurt. I'm coming down, I'm coming down,'" Blakeslee said.

[Confed999]

I hate the letter "Z". Really.

[PubFather]

Negative numbers - what a load of nonsense.

For example: 2-1 = 1.
1-1= 0
All nice and sensible so far.

Then we get 1-2 = -1 (negative 1).

Rubbish - if you have one apple, and take two away, you can't. You only have one apple. You still end up with no apples. Its logical really.

I suspect a conspiracy by mathematicians to confuse everyone. And don't even get me started on "imaginary numbers" that really pisses me off...

[leib10]

I agree. Math sucks ass. The crap they teach kids in high school is only of use to physicists and engineers and architects. Not everybody needs to know advanced algebra and geometry and trig. It's pointless.

[ArmchairGeneral]

Ditto. Leave the advanced math to those of us who actually care. Most people would do fine with no more advanced math than long division, multiplication, and maybe fractions and decimals. Sure I use trig some, but that's cause I'm weird.

And as far as science goes, what matters more than actual knowledge is the scientific view of life, which is almost non-existent in schools today it seems to me. If I was teaching science, I would initially concentrate on the history and philosophy of science, because that's how you get an idea of what it's really all about.

Of course, the schools would probably make it like a high school history course, where all you need to know are dates, people and other facts. It's history, people, from the French word for story. Make it a story, and people will love it. And as a bonus, I bet you would get a lot more kids interested in science.

[bonehead]

All this randomness is starting to get structured. Has anyone used calculus to balance their checkbook?

[leib10]

Exactly my point. Calculus is useless to probably 90% of people.

I'm in a really bad mood right now because I am taking care of a friend's dog while she's gone and it's driving me nuts.

[bonehead]

Originally Posted by leibstandarte10

Exactly my point. Calculus is useless to probably 90% of people.

I'm in a really bad mood right now because I am taking care of a friend's dog while she's gone and it's driving me nuts.

Dude, once you master calculus, Algerbra is damned near obsolete. All those algebra problems that take half an hour to solve can be done in about 90 seconds with calculus. Unfortunately you have to crawl before you can walk. so the more you understand algebra and trig the easier calculus becomes. I suck at math, always have, and I struggled through a year of college calculus and I am glad I hung in there. A solid background in math opens up a lot of doors career wise, (read this as high paying jobs) and you will find you will use those math skills in ways you can not even imagine today.

[THL]

Originally Posted by leibstandarte10

This worked well at the other forum I've belonged to over the years. Just make a random comment or post something of interest that doesn't warrant a new thread.

Well now I guess I'll be posting everything I start in here, thanks.

[ArmchairGeneral]

Originally Posted by bonehead

Dude, once you master calculus, Algerbra is damned near obsolete. All those algebra problems that take half an hour to solve can be done in about 90 seconds with calculus. Unfortunately you have to crawl before you can walk. so the more you understand algebra and trig the easier calculus becomes. I suck at math, always have, and I struggled through a year of college calculus and I am glad I hung in there. A solid background in math opens up a lot of doors career wise, (read this as high paying jobs) and you will find you will use those math skills in ways you can not even imagine today.

Hm. I haven't taken a calc course yet, but I thought I understood the basics of differential calculus. Don't really know much about integrals, so that might be what you're talking about, but what I know of differentials has nothing to do with algebra. Good for finding out distance traveled during acceleration, and other problems dealing with changes over time, but finding x? I don't know, maybe you can explain what you're talking about. Also, could you give some examples of careers that calc skills require? Science/engineering, sure. Computers, yeah. Accounting, perhaps?

[leib10]

The problem is that I'm a more literature/history type of guy. I can write an A-paper for literature in half an hour, and history is my strong point. But I can't remember equations to save my life. That's just the way some people are. I've got lots of friends who are geniuses at math and science but suck at English and history. Unfortunately, other than teaching those two subjects, there's not much else you can do with either.

[bonehead]

Originally Posted by leibstandarte10

The problem is that I'm a more literature/history type of guy. I can write an A-paper for literature in half an hour, and history is my strong point. But I can't remember equations to save my life. That's just the way some people are. I've got lots of friends who are geniuses at math and science but suck at English and history. Unfortunately, other than teaching those two subjects, there's not much else you can do with either.

Liturature/English and history are equally important in their own right. There are a select few that are good at all subjects, but most of us are good at one or the other. Some people do better at math when they consider it a foreign language at treat it as such. Even when you are not doing math per se, you can still use the problem solving skills learned when doing math.

[bonehead]

Originally Posted by ArmchairGeneral

Hm. I haven't taken a calc course yet, but I thought I understood the basics of differential calculus. Don't really know much about integrals, so that might be what you're talking about, but what I know of differentials has nothing to do with algebra. Good for finding out distance traveled during acceleration, and other problems dealing with changes over time, but finding x? I don't know, maybe you can explain what you're talking about. Also, could you give some examples of careers that calc skills require? Science/engineering, sure. Computers, yeah. Accounting, perhaps?

Some of these careers involve a math degree which includes Calculus and this is only a drop in the bucket: Research, marketing/sales, consultant, commerce, banking, marketing, analyst, statistition, engineer. You need to have some calc under your belt to get into most med schools (not so much for the calculus, but for the problem solving skills.)

Briefly, when finding high and low points on graphs, graphing curves, finding the local min and local max for optimization problems, and graphing in general, Calculus rules, Calculating change over time and the rate of change over time is best done with calculus. Calculus is also quicker to find the (x) in complex equations. You still use the rules of algebra, but calculus has lots of shortcuts so you could look at it as shorthand algebra. There are other examples as well, but that was too many years ago.

[leib10]

I have a bad tendency to get kidney stones. I seem to be passing one today.