CompuServe Messages

Hi, Gary– A lot of people get by with severely limited understanding of science and math, but how much better might they and society in general have done if they had more of that understanding? I doubt we'll ever know. I agree that 3 years of calculus are not needed for many occupations; high school algebra and geometry are all I would recommend in such cases. Even geometry may seem useless in many cases, but that class is really about a style of thinking, mathematical proof, that helps in the oddest of places. But lots of math and science are good for technical occupations and likely for some others that would surprise even me. If mathematical rigor was a fairly obvious asset to a programmer, I was somewhat surprised to find myself using the scientific method extensively in tracking down computer bugs. I figure many managers need a firm understanding of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle for application to monitoring of subordinates. Those without a grasp of it, whether by intuition or by education, are at a great disadvantage, I suspect. I suspect the world would be in better shape if lawmakers were required to learn and use the principles of structured programming. Merry Christmas! –Doug