Math is a language, some people speak it fluently, I just know how to ask where the bathroom is.
I can point and say "this."
The worst part is that the vast majority of people who say they know how to use Excel or Calc don't actually know how to use it. Same with word processors like Word or Writer. They manage to do some basic things with them, but they really don't know to use them properly. It's more a testament to the ability of the programmers of these applications that they were able to give dumb-asses results without truly being able to use the program. Don't get me started on PhotoShop "users".
To be fair, to truly understand the outer rims of science today you need to have a good grasp on mathematical modelling.
Otherwise you get doctors that don't understand statistics and calling 2% of people dying globally of a virus a concerning pandemic.
There has been at least two times in my life where i had to be able to use advanced math to solve a problem and without it the solution would have been impossible. Ultimately those handful of times it's needed are the difference between living like a white man vs living like a nigger. The more amusing thought is i relearned what i needed to know in both cases because i had forgotten most of it so im not sure the 12 years is necessary to be capable of doing difficult math.
What were those two problems about?
Implementing a coordinate projection algorithm for projecting one set of coordinates into a separate coordinate system and one for calculating the drainage requirement for a piece of property which involved some calculus.
Fluid dynamics whoa. Hope you figured it out right then add a little more for safety factors.
I've built some forms for cement before. Didnt use any math,but yeah there were some unexpected pressure forces I underestimated. No major setbacks but I was real nervous for a bit.
I little planning goes a long way. Like you were saying, It separates the men from the monkeys. I'm a bit of a clever monkey. Just past dumb, smart enough to know when to ask for help. So I'm beyond dunning Kruger effect at least.
It good to have guys like you around. Especially guys with the ability and patience to teach.
Quick and dirty estimates are just that. Often they're more than good enough if you have a good feel for what you want to achieve. Big picture first, then beam in on specifics, just like man logic demands.
Not very believable. You'll use algebra consistently in daily life if you have that ability.
This seems to be denigrating the idea of a standard education?
sure if you can't do certain things then fine, go do something else and be happy, society doesn't need everyone to be an Engineer, but you'd better put in exactly the same amount of effort into your preferred path or you will not be going very far.
Education is very little to do with what you've learned, but more about proving you can focus on and analyse data, the more you do something, the better you get.
and tbh Excel rapidly gets way more complex than most people think when you start using it for real world problems
![What Would Little Timmy Do Without 12 Years of Government Education? [720x619 - 39KB]](https://pic8.co/sh/gulbJF.jpg){kind=link}
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