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Humans Hard-wired for Geometry

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the pythagoras-notwithstanding dept.

hcg50a writes "An article on MSNBC reports that, according to a new study, even if you never learned the difference between a triangle, a rectangle and a trapezoid, and you never used a ruler, a compass or a map, you would still do well on some basic geometry tests, because we are hard-wired for geometry, rather than learning it from teachers or cultural influences."

10 of 235 comments (clear)

  1. Now I understand why... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    People are always calling me square.

    1. Re:Now I understand why... by Wolfrider · · Score: 1, Funny

      Arr, my hardwiring sucks; I failed geometry -- twice. But it was teh teacher, I tell yaz - I got a C in night school and an A in summer school. So put THAT in your pipe and smoke it, Mister Moor from Gordon Tech!

      [ God, I feel old - I just looked up the faculty list and he's STILL THERE! ]

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      == WolfriderV6 == I'm willing to admit that *I just might* be wrong... Are you??
  2. Tell my teacher that, sheesh by Jim+in+Buffalo · · Score: 4, Funny

    We're hard-wired for geometry? Sheesh, let's tell my 10th-grade Math teacher that... she'd point over to me and laugh in your face.

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    This sig, aah-ah, is comin' like a ghost-sig...
  3. Re:That's nothing. We're hardwired for calculus. by CentraSpike · · Score: 2, Funny

    who says dogs can't solve problems that humans can - i'm sure it's just a question of motivation :)

  4. Re:3D world by SIGFPE · · Score: 2, Funny

    I remember reading once about how the brain will recognize faces in natural formations (i.e. face on mars, clouds, etc).

    Um...if you have a brain of your own (borrow one if you don't) you could try this out for yourself. It's not exactly some obscure experiment that you can only "read about".
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    -- SIGFPE
  5. Actually by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    God compiled geometry into our kernel.

  6. Re:Yes by Kierthos · · Score: 2, Funny

    No, no... dogs can't. Cows can't. Cat's won't. Why should cats bother when people will do everything for them?

    Kierthos

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    Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
  7. Re:old news by rob_squared · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah, but everyone knows he did his best work as a zombie.

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    I don't get it.
  8. Re:Signal to noise by LoverOfJoy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Are we sure those cats and dogs really can't find their way home? Maybe they just don't want to go home. :)

  9. Re:That's nothing. We're hardwired for calculus. by ozbird · · Score: 2, Funny

    If I gave you a board, a piece of string, scissors, and a saw, you could cut the board exactly in half in a short amount of time. How? You'd lay the string out on the board, cut them to match length, fold the string in half, and lay the string out on the board again, making the cut at the end of the string.

    Sounds overly complicated to me - I'd just cut it corner to opposite corner.