If you're weak at maths does that mean your thick?

Beasty · 21-07-2016 09:07PM

Lack of ability in maths certainly does not mean you are "thick". However I've found my maths skills have made my life a lot easier. Being able to take short cuts on maths and other questions of logic means you can apply more focus to other areas. Just as an example, when I school I did not do my homework at home. I would finish my maths lesson in a quarter or so of the standard lesson and spend the rest of the lesson doing my other homework.

Capt'n Midnight · 21-07-2016 09:11PM

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

I'm generally more likely to use knowing the difference between your and you're as a barometer of thickness :pac:

This dates back to the days of yore.

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I have big problems with clockwise and anticlockwise. Not ideal for someone who spends half their day screwing.

Just use sunwise and widdershins.

Chris_Bradley wrote: »

"I stopped trying to understand Maths when the alphabet got involved"

Says it all really.

it gets worse, when they ran out of Greek letters they started using squiggly things.

Ficheall · 21-07-2016 09:48PM

Icemancometh wrote: »

Ficheall wrote: »

A man looking at the other two numbers knows that his number is either the sum of those two numbers, or the difference between the two numbers. If the difference between the two numbers is 0, he knows his own number must be the sum (because 0 isn't an option).
Therefore, we know that the first man did not see two numbers which were the same; ie. the second and third person's numbers were not the same.
The second person, knowing that his number was not the same as third person's, and seeing that the first person had 10 and the third person 5, would know that his number was 15.
That is how the second person knows the number on his hat.

More importantly, since we know that the second person can work out the number on his hat from what he sees, we can work out that 10 and 5 are the only numbers which would enable him to do so. No other combination of numbers would enable him to decide whether his number was the sum or the difference of the other two.

I got this far, but couldn't get any further.

K, I'll elaborate on that line.

Therefore, we know that the first man did not see two numbers which were the same; ie. the second and third person's numbers were not the same.
You're okay with "If the first man saw two of the same number, he would know his number was their sum."
Aye?
Since he didn't know what his number was (as stated in the problem), we can conclude that he did not see two of the same number.
The numbers he's looking at are the numbers on the second and third persons' hats. Therefore these are not the same.

This information, that the numbers on the second and third persons' hats are not the same, is integral to the second person working out what number is on his own hat.

Icemancometh · 21-07-2016 09:52PM

Ficheall wrote: »

K, I'll elaborate on that line.

Therefore, we know that the first man did not see two numbers which were the same; ie. the second and third person's numbers were not the same.
You're okay with "If the first man saw two of the same number, he would know his number was their sum."
Aye?
Since he didn't know what his number was (as stated in the problem), we can conclude that he did not see two of the same number.
The numbers he's looking at are the numbers on the second and third persons' hats. Therefore these are not the same.

This information, that the numbers on the second and third persons' hats are not the same, is integral to the second person working out what number is on his own hat.

No, I got your explanation the first time, very thorough. Just when I was trying it myself, I got as far as B knows that he doesn't have the same number as C, but couldn't get to the next bit.

Letree · 21-07-2016 10:19PM

Yes thick as 2*(Y) Where Y = Short Planks

Hologram · 22-07-2016 01:38AM

fryup wrote: »

Well does it?

i've heard it mentioned in conversations over the years

I wonder are they aware of the irony of it being a thick thing to say.

Dravokivich · 22-07-2016 02:52PM

Claw Hammer wrote: »

What book? I have never seen any book with a set of instructions on how to tie shoe laces. In any case I know a man who can't tie his own shoe laces. reason- he always wears slip-ons and has no shoes with eyelets.

It was a joke about a quote attributed to Einstein where he suggested he didn't see the need in memorising a lot of stuff when books were available to reference.

Beasty wrote: »

Lack of ability in maths certainly does not mean you are "thick". However I've found my maths skills have made my life a lot easier. Being able to take short cuts on maths and other questions of logic means you can apply more focus to other areas. Just as an example, when I school I did not do my homework at home. I would finish my maths lesson in a quarter or so of the standard lesson and spend the rest of the lesson doing my other homework.

Haha, I was only talking to someone the other day about doing the exact same thing.

Capt'n Midnight · 22-07-2016 06:07PM

Letree wrote: »

Yes thick as 2*(Y) Where Y = Short Planks

https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1918/

JellieBabie · 22-07-2016 07:39PM

BabyE wrote: »

But yeah with a language you easily know the steps needed to become good at it, but with maths there isn't or doesn't seem to be a logical sequence to build upon, except for what the school system does, but the problem is with maths, all it takes is to miss a concept early on and then you will be forever stifled.

Hmm.. bit of a weird statement no? Really easy to learn a language so as long as you follow 'the steps'? If you miss a concept early on it's no bother you can plod along anyway?!

steddyeddy · 22-07-2016 07:41PM

Maths has a logical progression about it. Most of the time it's not taught towards a logical progression though. I had appalling maths teachers in school but I did an intro to maths module in first year in Uni and it really helped. Really basic maths taught from first principles.

JellieBabie · 22-07-2016 08:17PM

I excelled in every subject in school - except Maths. I was top of the class in English, the sciences, History etc. Used to get so pissed off then in Maths when I found it hard.

hatrickpatrick · 22-07-2016 08:27PM

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

This dates back to the days of yore.

Yore ma? :pac:

Sand · 22-07-2016 09:19PM

I do see a link between maths and deductive reasoning. Maths is a subject where there is a toolset, you think about the problem and apply the toolset. Once you understand the tools, you can get perfect marks in a way that is not possible in the softer subjects where right and wrong is more subjective. Mind you, the more advanced maths gets the less hard and fast answers there are. It is the subject that introduces kids to the concept of infinity and zero. So people who are good at maths are able to think about problems logically, but also allow for 'maybe' as an answer. Its anecdotal, but I do see it reflected that people who are poor at maths struggle at thinking through a problem logically - or to be more exact they don't approach problems in that way.

On the other hand, I do believe people are 'intelligent' in different ways. Maths and reasoning is one form, others are strong at languages, others stronger at reading and influencing people, etc, etc. I don't believe that everyone has a superpower or anything, but I don't think being weak at maths means you are an idiot either.

FizzleSticks · 22-07-2016 09:51PM

This post has been deleted.

philstar · 22-07-2016 10:22PM

If you're weak at maths does that mean your thick?

no, it just means your weak at maths

prinzeugen · 22-07-2016 11:30PM

I have had the joys of working with many a "brainbox" over the years..

Some could put a man on Mars but when it came to basic things..

They are think as ****. All did stuff that was double facepalm material.

Had one mathematical genius that fecked the microwave in work by sticking metal in it..

Daddy can't buy cop on or commonsense.

B.A._Baracus · 23-07-2016 12:43AM

There are different types of smarts in this world.

IWJ · 23-07-2016 01:42AM

Maybe something along these lines has been mentioned before. In any case, this is what I think:

If you're weak at maths, it means you are weak at the subject called 'mathematics'. Like anything however, it is an area that can be learnt and developed. Thus, being weak at maths does not automatically render one 'thick'. I know very 'intelligent' people who were never good at maths in school. Moreover, this does not necessarily mean that they couldn't have been good. Maybe they had a bad teacher, lacked interest, were more interested in other fields etc.

A better question is: If you really try and focus all of your energies at learning mathematics, how quickly and how well can you grasp abstract concepts that are mathematics.

If it turns out that after trying their best, one realizes that he/ she cannot grasp concepts fully and/ or quickly, they may not have a mathematical aptitude, but certainly cannot be labelled stupid. They may have many other strong areas.

As I'm sure has been mentioned in this thread earlier, there are many kinds of intelligence e.g spacial, mathematical, numerical, verbal, etc. Lacking in one of these areas does not qualify one as 'thick'- one should look at the overall picture.

Capt'n Midnight · 23-07-2016 12:36PM

There are 10 types of people , those who understand ternary and ...

Hologram · 23-07-2016 01:17PM

I found maths and physics very difficult but wouldn't be thick! I just had more of an aptitude for English, languages, history, geography and biology - stuff you learned off (geography, history, biology, aspects of languages) or just had a natural gravitation towards (English, other aspects of languages). I know a number of people (my father included) who were excellent at maths and physics but didn't have the aptitude for languages and English. Then you've got those brainiacs who are just brilliant at everything the poindexters!

prinzeugen wrote: »

I have had the joys of working with many a "brainbox" over the years..

Some could put a man on Mars but when it came to basic things..

They are think as ****. All did stuff that was double facepalm material.

Had one mathematical genius that fecked the microwave in work by sticking metal in it..

Daddy can't buy cop on or commonsense.

Is their lack of commonsense due to their nerdiness or wealth though? Not all "geeks" are from well off families.

Mardy Bum · 23-07-2016 01:24PM

Cognitively speaking, if you have a low capacity working memory you will be limited intellectually in most areas.

Ficheall · 23-07-2016 02:48PM

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

There are 10 types of people , those who understand ternary and ...

There are 2 types of people - those who can extrapolate from incomplete date...

steddyeddy · 23-07-2016 02:59PM

Mardy Bum wrote: »

Cognitively speaking, if you have a low capacity working memory you will be limited intellectually in most areas.

Well memory is most certainly a plastic quality.

Mardy Bum · 23-07-2016 03:22PM

steddyeddy wrote: »

Well memory is most certainly a plastic quality.

Working memory can be improved to a point. There are important differences between working memory and long term memory.

steddyeddy · 23-07-2016 03:25PM

Mardy Bum wrote: »

Working memory can be improved to a point. There are important differences between working memory and long term memory.

Yes but both are highly plastic and can be trained. Thus by inplication so can cognitive ability.

Mardy Bum · 23-07-2016 03:28PM

steddyeddy wrote: »

Yes but both are highely plastic and can be trained. Thus by inplication so can cognitive ability.

Up until you are 25 or so and then it becomes much more static.

Those already limited though struggle to improve because it is difficult and a lot of parents and people are of the belief that learning should be easy and fun - see ubiquity of fraudulent brain training games.

FishOnABike · 23-07-2016 03:47PM

If you're weak at maths does that mean your thick?

Oh, I don't know. No more than if you're weak at grammar or spelling means you're thick. Different people have different strengths and weaknesses. The thing is to discover what your strengths are and make good use of them.

IvyTheTerrible · 23-07-2016 03:50PM

FishOnABike wrote: »

If you're weak at maths does that mean your thick?

Oh, I don't know. No more than if you're weak at grammay means you're thick. Different people have different strengths and weaknesses. The thing is to discover what your strengths are and make good use of them.

That may be true for grammay, but what about spelling?

Capt'n Midnight · 23-07-2016 05:32PM

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

but what about spelling?

I hate to break it to you, but magic isn't real.

FISMA. · 23-07-2016 05:44PM

fryup wrote: »

Well does it?

i've heard it mentioned in conversations over the years

Not in the least.

Also, it depends on how old you are. If you are young, you may not have had enough for it to make sense.

When I first took Algebra, my initial response was where the f€ck did the numbers go - what is this?

Then came trigonometry, which was more of a slap in the face.

When I finally got to Calc, I hated limits, and wanted to throw in the towel. That's when it finally came together with derivatives and integration. After all of my Maths, I actually found Calc to be the easiest.

Also OP, there's lot's of different skills-sets in math. If you keep on going, you just might find one that clicks with you.

I took a course in Probability once. There was a lad in the class who had no math background, but was a great gambler. He could see the answer lines before the professor found a solution.

You may find that you have an intuitive ability in Statistics, Analysis, Operations Research, or some other topic.

Try as much Math as possible. Math is too important to leave to the Mathematicians!

If you're weak at maths does that mean your thick?

Comments