Comments on: Site of the Day: Innumeracy.com http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/site-of-the-day-innumeracy-com/ Macro Perspective on the Capital Markets, Economy, Geopolitics, Technology, and Digital Media Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:17:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: How the Common Man Sees It http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/site-of-the-day-innumeracy-com/comment-page-1/#comment-236161 How the Common Man Sees It Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:39:57 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=42939#comment-236161 Obviously, the world will end in a war between the math quants and the spin doctors who can write things about them ;) So that would propose an interesting dilemma. You've got the math quants on one side designing rockets and weapons and writing books on how to use them that are so bad that nobody knows how to use the weapons properly. On the other side you have a bunch of writers and idea guys who know exactly what to do and how to explain what to do to their troops. The only problem is they can't design a weapon that will work let alone aim the thing I think we'll call this story the Politician and the Banker ;) Obviously, the world will end in a war between the math quants and the spin doctors who can write things about them ;)

So that would propose an interesting dilemma. You’ve got the math quants on one side designing rockets and weapons and writing books on how to use them that are so bad that nobody knows how to use the weapons properly.

On the other side you have a bunch of writers and idea guys who know exactly what to do and how to explain what to do to their troops. The only problem is they can’t design a weapon that will work let alone aim the thing

I think we’ll call this story the Politician and the Banker ;)

]]> By: How the Common Man Sees It http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/site-of-the-day-innumeracy-com/comment-page-1/#comment-236160 How the Common Man Sees It Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:32:28 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=42939#comment-236160 They go into innumeracy in media there. That is one of my favorite peeves. There is nothing more frustrating to hear than how company profits shrunk by 200% @danm Huge time sink there @ajw <i>Do they have a companion site for spelling? When I click the link, the header in my browser says “More aticles from Innumeracy.com” which is pretty damn funny. </i> When I was reading Barry's intro above I was think to myself how funny it would be if the site was riddled with spelling errors. Maybe it was deliberate. If not then it was a beautiful piece of irony They go into innumeracy in media there. That is one of my favorite peeves. There is nothing more frustrating to hear than how company profits shrunk by 200%

@danm Huge time sink there

@ajw

Do they have a companion site for spelling? When I click the link, the header in my browser says “More aticles from Innumeracy.com” which is pretty damn funny.

When I was reading Barry’s intro above I was think to myself how funny it would be if the site was riddled with spelling errors. Maybe it was deliberate. If not then it was a beautiful piece of irony

]]> By: bsneath http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/site-of-the-day-innumeracy-com/comment-page-1/#comment-236127 bsneath Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:36:03 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=42939#comment-236127 This is no lie. Years ago my son brought home a 6th grade math homework assignment and asked me to help him. Math being my strongest subject. I looked at the questions and I was confused. They were written in such a way that there was no correct answer. It turns out this was the latest innovation in teaching. There should not be a right or wrong answer because little Johnny's self esteem might be damaged if he is wrong. So everybody will be right. In reality it only caused confusion. I suspect little Cheng is learning rigorous mathematical formulas. How will we compete in a global economy when "How do are children feel about themselves?" takes precedence over competency? This is no lie.

Years ago my son brought home a 6th grade math homework assignment and asked me to help him. Math being my strongest subject. I looked at the questions and I was confused. They were written in such a way that there was no correct answer. It turns out this was the latest innovation in teaching. There should not be a right or wrong answer because little Johnny’s self esteem might be damaged if he is wrong. So everybody will be right. In reality it only caused confusion.

I suspect little Cheng is learning rigorous mathematical formulas. How will we compete in a global economy when “How do are children feel about themselves?” takes precedence over competency?

]]> By: danm http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/site-of-the-day-innumeracy-com/comment-page-1/#comment-236122 danm Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:51:02 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=42939#comment-236122 flipspiceland: You can find it in many more places. Here is another: http://www.math.com/students/wonders/life/life.html When I started my math degree, the first thing they made us do was solve a problem that showed us how we could not trust our own intuition. In computer sciences, the first thing they work on, I've been told, is the Game of Life. flipspiceland:

You can find it in many more places. Here is another:
http://www.math.com/students/wonders/life/life.html

When I started my math degree, the first thing they made us do was solve a problem that showed us how we could not trust our own intuition.

In computer sciences, the first thing they work on, I’ve been told, is the Game of Life.

]]> By: microcap http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/site-of-the-day-innumeracy-com/comment-page-1/#comment-236121 microcap Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:45:32 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=42939#comment-236121 For those of you too young, the first time I ever heard the term is from the 1988 book "Innumeracy" by John Allen Paulos...who later wrote a book about losing all his money in the stock market. It is a lifelong dream of mine to force every public official to read this book, under duress "A Clockwork Orange" style if necessary :) For those of you too young, the first time I ever heard the term is from the 1988 book “Innumeracy” by John Allen Paulos…who later wrote a book about losing all his money in the stock market.

It is a lifelong dream of mine to force every public official to read this book, under duress “A Clockwork Orange” style if necessary :)

]]> By: Deflator Mouse http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/site-of-the-day-innumeracy-com/comment-page-1/#comment-236111 Deflator Mouse Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:31:46 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=42939#comment-236111 I've seen a million sites like that one. I’ve seen a million sites like that one.

]]> By: ajw http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/site-of-the-day-innumeracy-com/comment-page-1/#comment-236107 ajw Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:16:55 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=42939#comment-236107 Do they have a companion site for spelling? When I click the link, the header in my browser says "More aticles from Innumeracy.com" which is pretty damn funny. Do they have a companion site for spelling? When I click the link, the header in my browser says “More aticles from Innumeracy.com” which is pretty damn funny.

]]> By: flipspiceland http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/site-of-the-day-innumeracy-com/comment-page-1/#comment-236102 flipspiceland Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:50:59 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=42939#comment-236102 @danm Tried to open the game but Explorer shut it down. Is there another way in? @danm

Tried to open the game but Explorer shut it down.

Is there another way in?

]]> By: torrie-amos http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/site-of-the-day-innumeracy-com/comment-page-1/#comment-236095 torrie-amos Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:06:07 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=42939#comment-236095 Love Gladwell, have not read his new book, yet, on Blink, imho, where he set the stage, he gave no answer, which imho is wrong, there is a clear answer, what i totally agree with is when and where it will happen, yet it will, we make thousands of snap decisions a day, this is just but an example of one, yet, it's one that counts............ Love Gladwell, have not read his new book, yet, on Blink, imho, where he set the stage, he gave no answer, which imho is wrong, there is a clear answer, what i totally agree with is when and where it will happen, yet it will, we make thousands of snap decisions a day, this is just but an example of one, yet, it’s one that counts…………

]]> By: flipspiceland http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/site-of-the-day-innumeracy-com/comment-page-1/#comment-236092 flipspiceland Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:48:20 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=42939#comment-236092 @danm That's what Malcolm Gladwell thinks and writes as well. Considering our chances, each of us had a 1 in 350,000,000 chance of being born, chance would seem to begin right at the very beginning of life. @danm

That’s what Malcolm Gladwell thinks and writes as well.

Considering our chances, each of us had a 1 in 350,000,000 chance of being born, chance would seem to begin right at the very beginning of life.

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