Are we a math ignorant society?

[Smith_3]

I sometimes wonder about that when watching how issues get dealt with in public. I mean, most things in the real world are most accurately expressed in terms of a number, so why don't people make use of them?

Plastic bags in grocery stores? How many tons of plastic are we talking about here? Give me a number. How does this relate to the use of plastics in other areas? Give me a number.

Hybrid cars? How much energy do they save? Give me a friggen number.

CO2 emissions? Other emissions? Deaths through car accidents? Through smoking? Give me numbers. They say more then anything.

And also: Give me the correct number and the one that is applicable to your claim.

The absolute numbers of gun deaths in Michael Moores movies say nothing without the number of the total population of that country.

[mattclearing]

1. If you read GD-P, it's pretty obvious we are. n/t

[rfranklin]

2. Why don't you give us some numbers and educate us?

Or are you just looking for an argument? (Third door on the left, this room is for abuse only.)

[Xipe Totec]

3. You beat me to it by delta t < 4s n/t

[hobbit709]

4. You want numbers or statistics?

Numbers don't mean anything unless you know what they are defined as. But there is a fair percentage of the population that can't count past ten with their shoes on. I know people that can barely make change without a calculator. And I know people that can solve abstract equations in their heads.
Statistics don't mean anything unless you know how they were derived-there's lies, damned lies and statistics.
Remember that if you got one foot in the freezer and one on the stove, on the average you're comfortable.

[DeeDeeNY]

5. Very large numbers can be difficult to conceptualize

Such as these

[Junkdrawer]

6. 500 Billion to 1 Trillion plastic bags produced worldwide each year...

Coming to a treetop near you...

[BearSquirrel2]

7. Measuring is the problem ...

What is the cost of a paper bag vs. a plastic bag to the environment. Remember paper bags require wood pulp and plastic bags are made from waste petroleum.

Hybrid cars? It take a lot of energy to make the batteries and the use of the vehicle (city vs highway) will largely determine it's energy savings vs a traditional engine.

All of these issues are really for careful accounting and statistics and that is something slightly different than straight mathematics.

[MiniMe]

8. ...

[Echo In Light]

9. Philosophy/critical thinking - ignorant society overall

Which I think is actually a greater detriment to humanity. If greater numbers weren't relegated to Wage Slave status, and Fashionable Consumption Zombies, mathematical skills would naturally be encouraged as part of the whole.

[Snarkturian Clone]

10. Of course not...

how many times have you seen goofy "studies" posted here saying "So-and-so percent of ______ are prone to (horrible result)" and paraded as fact?

[KatyMan]

11. Three points:

1. 67% of all statistics are made up

2. There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don't

And finally:

3. There are 3 types of people in the world: those who can count and those who can't.

[unpossibles]

12. there are three kinds of Americans: those who are good at math

and those who aren't

:)

While I agree with your idea, there is a practicality issue on some of those things. We can measure how many tons of plastic bags are produced, or how much energy a hybrid car uses compared to the older model, but some issues, such as how many live/die do to smoking regulation is nigh impossible to be accurate about as there are so many other factors and variables.

I do agree however, that as consumers it would be easier to make informed decisions if we had quantifiable data. The other problem is, who supplies that data and do we trust them?

[Echo In Light]

14. Yes, as the empire erodes, and corruption grows, a notable trait is the Source War

[lynnertic]

13. it's not yes or no -- it's how much

gimme a number

(snicker)