The Mathematical Association of America released a statement Friday claiming both that mathematicians should engage in “uncomfortable conversations†about race, and that policies of from the Trump administration, like the lack of a mask mandate in the United States, are somehow an affront to mathematics. The group concludes with a call for a “pursuit of justice†within math. …
“It is time for all members of our profession to acknowledge that mathematics is created by humans and therefore inherently carries human biases. Until this occurs, our community and our students cannot reach full potential,” wrote the group. “Reaching this potential in mathematics relies upon the academy and higher education engaging in critical, challenging, sometimes uncomfortable conversations about the detrimental effects of race and racism on our community. The time is now to move mathematics and education forward in pursuit of justice.”
04 Oct 2020
Boligat
Well, now. I feel so much better with this new understanding. Because of this racism, I was hopelessly doomed to fail college algebra and trigonomics. My father was from Mexico so I should have done just fine what with the Mayans and zero and such. But, my mother’s ancestors were from Scotland, so. . . . I only understood half of what they tried to teach me. I’m sure this was the reason for failing Chemistry 110, too. Because of these two failures, which I now understand were not my fault, I flunked out of college and did not get to pursue my dream of becoming a dentist. So, instead I got drafted (because I was not, as Uncle Sam told me, “making adequate progress toward a degree”) and learned how to shoot down Russian MIGs. At least it wasn’t Vietnam.
While I did get back to college I became a teacher instead. Now I am retired on teacher’s wages instead of dentist’s income.
It’s not fair, and all white dentists owe me an apology and a generous portion of their earnings as reparations.
gwbnyc
mathmatics is found by humans.
all organizations overrun their stated missions, expand, and deteriorate with unchecked superfluosity.
“The Mathmatical Association of America†transes to “The Masturmathmatical Association of Americaâ€, then, logically, to “The Masturmathmatical Association of America Snuggled in the Big Tent of Mothers Against Drunk Drivingâ€
OneGuy
I believe that what they are saying is that anything that POC do not excel in especially if white Northern European cultures do excel in is racist. That includes virtually everything that might be taught in school to include language, math, history, logic, debate, etc. I believe what they are saying loud and clear is that the book “The Bell Curve” was correct but that they resent that and want to cover it up with lies and misdirection.
While this tactic may be ‘feasible’ with some studies like philosophy or history it becomes blatantly obvious it is pure BS when they try to do it with raw science. It takes a special kind of stupid (can I say low IQ) to try to convince normal people that math is racist.
McChuck
Everyone associated with this declaration has publicly identified themselves as the enemy of civilization and reason. Act accordingly.
Mike-SMO
And I just thought I didn’t have the calculus gene.
Dan Kurt
What kind of math notation uses SUBSCRIPTS to modify unknowns? For example what is exactly 2x subscript 3? Is it 2x/3? Weird.
Dan Kurt
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