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Former US Senate Majority Leader calls Mathematics And Science - A "Waste Of Time"

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posted on May, 19 2013 @ 03:30 PM
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Is studying science and mathematics valuable for a general education? Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott said it is a "waste of my time, waste of my teacher's time and a waste of space" -- if your goal is to become a lawyer.


www.huffingtonpost.com...

This is old news already, but still. A man with so much reputation should be an example to the nation and its state... The higher the position, the larger the responsibility. By now he has retired, luckily... Really bad example for kids.

Just thought it was worth sharing here...

Found some interesting stats which are not supporting his "advice".

taxprof.typepad.com...



Another study looking at how different majors affect results of GMAT and SAT tests. Wonder, which major has the best influence on these tests?


www.math.duke.edu...
edit on 19-5-2013 by Cabin because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 03:39 PM
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Most of the math and science we learn in school is useless in a real world scenario unless you are in that field. I worked many kinds of work over the years and with the exception of using some angles and basic math, I did not need all the stuff I learned. I tried to tutor my daughter with some advanced math but the way we learned it was abandoned and plugging it into formulas is all they do nowadays. I learned to think by learning the process, I guess they don't want thinkers anymore, just people with lots of memorization that can't apply it.



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 03:43 PM
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reply to post by Cabin
 


What he is saying is that lawyers don't use math, science, logic, reasoning, critical thinking.

Basically, they (lawyers) are oozing mindless sea slugs (no offense to sea slugs) who live off the detritus of others.



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 03:57 PM
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Originally posted by rickymouse
... I learned to think by learning the process, I guess they don't want thinkers anymore, just people with lots of memorization that can't apply it.


Yep, that's it.

Folks say that the American education system is a failure. I say that it is a total, unqualified success. It is accomplishing exactly what it is designed to accomplish.

They want drones who can consume, reproduce and use a credit card at Walmart. Beyond that, you are a threat and a liability.



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 04:06 PM
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reply to post by rickymouse
 





Most of the math and science we learn in school is useless in a real world scenario unless you are in that field.


I used to believe that too ( about math, always loved science) when I was younger, but I no longer feel that is true. That is because math makes you think, it exercises the brain and make us more critical thinkers. I wouldn't be so fast to dismiss this as a worthwhile subject, just because it might be hard to figure out. It's designed to be that way.



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 04:12 PM
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After elementary school, kids should begin learning about some of the issues plaguing society, and condition them to 'want' to try and solve them. Whatever skill-set that requires will come after the fact. Motivate them to become free thinkers, and act accordingly for the benefit of the planet.



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 04:12 PM
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Most of the math done by students involved the useless memorization of readily available formula. The kids have almost no idea how to apply the memorized content to a real world situation. Kids should be taught how to solve real world problems and not theoretical equations unless they are in a an advanced mathematics course.

I have amazed my daughter and her friends by my ability to do math in my heads before than can do the same problems on their calculators. The kids these days are being handicapped by technology.



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 04:14 PM
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reply to post by iunlimited491
 


If they were taught how to solve problems they might realize that the problems we have are created by those that are controlling the course curriculum.

I am sure TPTB would not like your solution.

edit on 2013/5/19 by Metallicus because: Spelling Error



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 04:15 PM
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Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by Cabin
 


What he is saying is that lawyers don't use math, science, logic, reasoning, critical thinking.

Basically, they (lawyers) are oozing mindless sea slugs (no offense to sea slugs) who live off the detritus of others.


Well, if your profession requires time, lots of time for specialization, not only to be good but to be great at your job, then the focus should be on skills that work towards that. Art for example, an artist doesn't necessarily have to know anything outside of add,subract, multiply and divide... basic geometry in terms of math, why would you make that kid learn algebra as a hard requirement for a degree plan? The student certainly isnt studying to become an engineer, that student is learning to paint and draw and sculpt and those things take a lot of focus and dedication. An artist is wasting his/her time in an advanced math class when his/her specialty is using, pencils, paper, canvases, cameras, photoshop/digital mediums, clay... I mean... society trying to produce well rounded people is great but hard requirements that have nearly nothing to do with your specialty.. I dunno. I'd guess if you took basic ed for 12 years, you're probably good to move into specialization and not distraction.
edit on 19-5-2013 by Nephalim because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 04:20 PM
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reply to post by Metallicus
 


Brb. There's a knock at the door...



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 04:27 PM
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Any person who needs maths for their job now-days can now type in the numbers on their mobile phone, so the "pencil and paper" or "mind-calculating" days are over.

As for science, so much is suppressed, and some science can even lead to death - Water Powered Cars ect.

So I agree with this guy.



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 04:30 PM
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Originally posted by Nephalim

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by Cabin
 


What he is saying is that lawyers don't use math, science, logic, reasoning, critical thinking.

Basically, they (lawyers) are oozing mindless sea slugs (no offense to sea slugs) who live off the detritus of others.


Well, if your profession requires time, lots of time for specialization, not only to be good but to great at your job, then the focus should be on skills that work towards that. Art for example, an artist doesnt necessarily have to know anything outside of add,subract, multiply and divide... basic geometry in terms of math, why would you make that kid learn algebra as a hard requirement for a degree plan? The student certainly isnt studying to become an engineer, that student is learning to paint and draw and sculpt and those things take a lot of focus and dedication. An artist is wasting his/her time in an advanced math class when his/her specialty is using, pencils, paper, canvases, cameras, photoshop/digital mediums, clay... I mean... society trying to produce well rounded people is great but hard requirements that have nearly nothing to do with your specialty.. I dunno. I'd guess if you took basic ed for 12 years, you're probably good to move into specialization and not distraction.


Linear Perspective
Orthoganals
Fibonacci Sequence
Golden Mean
Symmetry

Just the first things that came to mind. Concepts from math that any artist should now. World-class music, literature is also mathemathical in many ways.

Mathemathics isn´t about real life application skills. Most jobs do not do the x½=y graph analysis. Although that is not the point of mathemathics. It is about the thinking skills it develops - critical thinking, analytical thinking, abstract thinking, problem solving, analysis, thinking 3D etc etc.

I know several art schools require students to learn math as subjects. Same goes about politics major. More and more liberal arts are starting adding in math simply to develop the thinking skills of students.
edit on 19-5-2013 by Cabin because: (no reason given)

edit on 19-5-2013 by Cabin because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 04:33 PM
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A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

-Robert A. Heinlein


Really, nothing to add to this other than lawyers, especially the kind that infest DC, are bottom-feeding parasites.




posted on May, 19 2013 @ 04:49 PM
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Originally posted by Cabin

Originally posted by Nephalim

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by Cabin
 


What he is saying is that lawyers don't use math, science, logic, reasoning, critical thinking.

Basically, they (lawyers) are oozing mindless sea slugs (no offense to sea slugs) who live off the detritus of others.


Well, if your profession requires time, lots of time for specialization, not only to be good but to great at your job, then the focus should be on skills that work towards that. Art for example, an artist doesnt necessarily have to know anything outside of add,subract, multiply and divide... basic geometry in terms of math, why would you make that kid learn algebra as a hard requirement for a degree plan? The student certainly isnt studying to become an engineer, that student is learning to paint and draw and sculpt and those things take a lot of focus and dedication. An artist is wasting his/her time in an advanced math class when his/her specialty is using, pencils, paper, canvases, cameras, photoshop/digital mediums, clay... I mean... society trying to produce well rounded people is great but hard requirements that have nearly nothing to do with your specialty.. I dunno. I'd guess if you took basic ed for 12 years, you're probably good to move into specialization and not distraction.


Linear Perspective
Orthoganals
Fibonacci Sequence
Golden Mean
Symmetry

Just the first things that came to mind. Concepts from math that any artist should now. World-class music, literature is also mathemathical in many ways.

Mathemathics isn´t about real life application skills. Most jobs do not do the x½=y graph analysis. Although that is not the point of mathemathics. It is about the thinking skills it develops - critical thinking, analytical thinking, abstract thinking, problem solving, analysis, thinking 3D etc etc.

I know several art schools require students to learn math as subjects. Same goes about politics major. More and more liberal arts are starting adding in math simply to develop the thinking skills of students.
edit on 19-5-2013 by Cabin because: (no reason given)

edit on 19-5-2013 by Cabin because: (no reason given)


Then those art schools are wasting their time and their students time, not to mention tuition money. They can teach those particulars in art class because they're integral to an art students specialization and art itself.

Lessons can be combined and focused into a concentration as they pertain to that field.
I believe your noteworthy mentions only help to prove my point.



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 05:04 PM
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Originally posted by Nephalim

Then those art schools are wasting their time and their students time, not to mention tuition money. They can teach those particulars in art class because they're integral to an art students specialization and art itself.

Lessons can be combined and focused into a concentration as they pertain to that field.
I believe your noteworthy mentions only help to prove my point.


Here is no tuition money... Universities are free of charge, as they should be.

If only these terms were covered it would give nothing. A deeper understanding needs to be in order for the change to happen, it has to be part of thinking, in order to understand these well, one needs to learn quite complex mathemathics.

Many famous artists were also mathemathicians, engineers, scientists.

Da Vinci is probably the best example. Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso.

From Music, Bartok, Debussy, Satie come to mind.

Most classics used mathemathics, whether consciously or subconciously in their works, which mean their thinking skills were strong enough. They did not even need to learn mathemathics in order to use it in their fields. It came naturally -genius-level.

Who knows maybe we would not have all this amazing art, if some had not learned such thinking through math...



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 05:09 PM
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Actually Trent Lott's job in the senate"was a waste of time".Though in spite of his detractors,he does have something on sea slugs.He's far slimier than any sea slug I've ever seen.



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 05:09 PM
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reply to post by Cabin
 


YOUR THREAD TITLE IS INTENTIONALLY MISLEADING - CHANGE IT



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 05:15 PM
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reply to post by CasaVigilante
 


How is it misleading? To be honest, I copied the title from the blog where I first found it... He said it after all.



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 05:57 PM
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Criminal justice - lowest on the scores. That's a comforting thought for the future of our police state.



posted on May, 19 2013 @ 06:01 PM
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that supports his claim fully, look at crimnal justice all the way at the bottom because they're wasting time with math and science...

i think you fookt up




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