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How US Schools' Culture Stifles Math Achievement

Posted by timothy on from the expensive-gubmint-babysitting-castles dept.

Zarf writes "I'd like to file a bug report on the US educational system. The New York Times reports on a recent study that shows the US fails to encourage academic talent as a culture.'"There is something about the culture in American society today which doesn't really seem to encourage men or women in mathematics," said Michael Sipser, the head of M.I.T.'s math department. "Sports achievement gets lots of coverage in the media. Academic achievement gets almost none."' While we've suspected that the US might be falling behind academically, this study shows that it is actually due to cultural factors that are devaluing the success of our students. I suspect there's a flaw in the US cultural system that prevents achievement on the academic front from being perceived as valuable. Could anyone suggest a patch for this bug or is this cause for a rewrite?"

5 of 888 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Answer: Money by uassholes · · Score: 5, Funny
    Going to Wall Street and getting rich off fucking up the world economy is always going to beat teaching math.

    Unless we bring back lynch mobs.

    Those were the days.

  2. Re:Unattractive by 19thNervousBreakdown · · Score: 5, Funny

    Please. Lovable isn't going to make Americans want to do math.

    We gotta make it fuckable.

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    <xml><I><am><so><damn>Web 2.0</damn></so></am></I></xml>
  3. Re:Answer: Money by cayenne8 · · Score: 5, Funny
    "Exactly. When NFL quarterbacks get millions and top-of-the-line math teachers get a few tens of thousands, guess which way a physically fit but also smart student would go."

    My thinking exactly....as soon as someone starts earning 7+ figures, is on TV, gets endorsment money from calculator companies, and all the chicks they can handle, then people will start migrating to and excelling at mathematics in droves.

    Trouble is, you don't generally get famous and rich solving derivatives.

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    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  4. Re:Answer: Money by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 5, Funny

    A good example calculus problem would be:

    "Johnny is staggering home from a party but has to urinate. The parabolic arc of his piss-stream can be modelled by the equation 3t-16t^2. If Johnny's weenie is three feet higher than the ground, then how far will he pee? how long will it take for his piss to hit the sidewalk? What is the velocity of his piss be when it hits the ground? "

    Make a textbook with similar examples and its 120-dollar price tag will be fully justified :)

  5. Re:Answer: Money by ScrewMaster · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bill Gates is considered by many (of the non-programming crowd) to be the biggest nerd/genius in this respect.

    So true. Of course, to most of us real nerds the guy is one of the biggest assholes on the planet in every other respect.

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    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.