I’m not very proud to announce that I’ve gotten to a point where my brain is so dull, I’m having problems doing simple division in my head.
I trust all of my former math teachers reading this (especially my Calculus teacher in college, whom I hated if only for planting the word “derivative” in my head forever) are cringing. But, this goes hand-in-hand with my “my brain can only hold so much before stuff falls out!” theory and it looks like some division has fallen out.
Multiplication, addition, and subtraction are all still there. Calculus? No. Of course not. I suspect division is the odd operation out because it involves more brainwork. And while I can remember more than a few programming languages easily, I have a hard time with basic math. That’s pretty sad.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to break out my sophomore year Algebra book.
Posted in Everyday Life
Alan Cordle October 22, 2006, 2:54 pm
I needed to make a cut on my table saw recently: two angles that should fit together into a 90 degree one. Well, I don’t have a miter box and suddenly it became this big deal. Even on paper, I just couldn’t do it anymore. And I used to be good at math.
jk October 22, 2006, 3:29 pm
I try to do as much math by hand as possible, for example balancing my checkbook. My dad spurred me to do this when he told me he was doing the same.
Sometimes my store has a 50% off sale and I *swear* that customers, young and old, ask me “how much will this be?” I also make high school students, 99% of the time female, figure out 20% in their heads.
Merle October 22, 2006, 7:03 pm
I tried to figure out the area of a regular pentagon, given a side length, recently. I failed miserably. It is quite embarassing.. although, honestly, this is not the sort of thing one needs to do very often.
jk October 22, 2006, 11:32 pm
Merle, marry me.
I enjoy your blog.
Alan Cordle October 23, 2006, 2:56 pm
Fine. I didn’t want a proposal anyway.
Merle October 24, 2006, 9:59 pm
JK: thanks, but already spoken for!