(no subject)

[ewx]

[Poll #311278]

(If you want to quantify this, interpret the questions in terms of mean scores on a hypothetical arithmetic test.)

Comments

doesn't *Everyone* know that mathmos can't count

[ewx.livejournal.com]

It was seeing a variant of that elsewhere that caused me to post the poll...

Re: doesn't *Everyone* know that mathmos can't count

[sparrowsion]

It's massively bogus. "Everyone" should be read as "people who have encountered academic mathematicians at an institution that propagates this meme". The rest of the world expects mathematicians to be better at arithmetic -- my mother is perpetually irritated by friends handing off arithmetic problems to her on the grounds that she's got a maths degree and should therefore find it easier than them. I suspect one of the reasons for this, and a component of any truth it may hold, is the "maths is hard" attitude, and anyone with demonstrated competence at a higher level must at least be comfortable with (what the layman will regard as) the basics.