h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I gave up when some swine at the Ministry of Education scribbled a note on my University Entrance results saying my mark for maths, four percent, had broken the New Zealand record, as a new low

[Amy]

*quietly sips by the fire*

Happy Birthday to Mike!

I took Calculus last year but as it was in Israel I slacked off a bit, didn't finish quite enough. So now I'm doing the real thing, taking AP Calc which means I can pass a test at the end and the course will count for college credit. only I've pulled about 78% on the first two exams, which baffles me and does not bode well.

*click click*

Don't touch my sneakers

*click click*

....

Lil, I swear that right before I read your post about New Math, I was considering typing, sans explanation, "You can't take 3 from 2, 2 is less than 3, so you look at the 4 in the 8ths place, now that's really 4 8s, so you make it 3 8s, regroup, and you change the 8 to 8 ones and you add it to the 2 to get 1-2 base 8 which is 10 base 10, and you take away 3 (that's 7),...."

My very religious bible teacher last year, this is a man who moved from america to live on a tiny settlement on the border of the occupied territories, told us he thought Tom Lehrer was as close to god as it gets. the kids I worked with this summer also had an TL obsession - and they made pants for the whole age group, so I have a pair of scrubs that say 'Cows With Guns' on 'em.

Incidentally, for those posting that they don't like math, I just want to say: try bending the rules, and it's fun! Just watch:

a=b
aa=ab
aa-bb=ab-bb
(a+b)(a-b)=b(a-b)
a+b=b
b+b=b
2b=b
2=1

Wouldn't hold up in court, but it's a handy tool for messing with people's minds.

"There once existed three brothers who went to buy a TV for 30 dollars. They each paid ten, and started to leave when the clerk realized that the TV was actually only to be sold for 25 dollars. Not wishing to confuse them, the clerk gave each of the brothers one dollar, and kept the other two for himself. Now, each brother paid 10-1 dollars, while the owner kept 2. 3*9=27 dollars, plus the owner's 2 equals 29 dollars. What happened to the other dollar?"

Sorry to ramble on about this, but I really enjoy mathematical oddities, even if they don't hold together under close scrutiny (ten points to the first to figure out the catch in one of these two).

Early morning band tomorrow. I only have to put up with four more days of early morning band practices, plus one more day of marching competition. And then: PEP BAND, CONCERT BAND, AND JAZZ BAND!!! Yee-HA! This year is quickly turning out for the better!

Math makes me nervous...
I figure if it doesn't balance my checkbook, pay my bills, measure something important (like my kid)...who the heck needs it?

Although, in preparation for my second round of GREs (the first being 0ver 10 years ago), I have been trying to remember things. Can anyone explain the FOIL method to me? I know what the anacronym stands for (1st, inside, outside, last) but beyond that, I'm lost.

Well, take for example the following polynomials that are to be multiplied together:

(4+2)*(1+5)

You use the FOIL system to remember which numbers to multiply next. In this problem, you would get:

First: 4*1=4
Outer: 4*5=20
Inner: 2*1=2
Last: 2*5=10

When you finish, you would be left with:

4+20+2+10=36

That's the best explanation I can think of at this time of night. Sorry.

Cows with Guns was Dana Lyons according to Mrs. Mac (Mistress Bovina, who knows the truth behind wipped cream)

Affy, I love you. That's the first even remotely understandable example I've had. You rock. Thank you a million times!!!!

Well, you're welcome 10 to the sixth power times.

As far as I remember that particular problem comes down to the fact that there are two different things going on. The initial purchaes 30\3=10 and the refund 30-5=25 and the theft by the clerk stealing your customers money=jerk.

Am I right?

*knows the flaws in the first affy example but is too tired to think of the second*

Can't drop the two (a-b)s because you're dividing by zero, eh.

*sea drags herself in, wraps a big blanket around herself, and gets a big cuppa hot chocolate from matina*

stay back, everyone, i'm sick again. d*mn living in a dorm...

*skipping and hopping across room to kitchen*

Feh! Floor covered in crunchy numbers! Matina! Feed Styx!

*jumps on to counter*

Styx: a very handsome rat.

[BB]

The last time numbers and foil featured in my live the answer was $30 please

truly, at the time it was a live not a life