Are there any Math fans here ?

[StephF]

I've always been interested in Math.

I find Prime numbers and Number Theory very interesting.

 

[Tarragon]

Not too sure about Math, never really liked it.

Now Maths on the other hand....


I really don't get the way people call it Math. It doesn't scan on the page for me, neither does its pronunciation.

Maybe its technically correct?? But it will always be maths to me!

As for numbers, yes I like numbers - no emotional baggage at all with them, and they aren't concerned with people's little minds ( such as quibbling over pronunciation etc! )

I like computer programming and making the program's do number crunching

 

[King_Oni]

For a second I read meth...

While I had just a bit of math in high school and college I can't say I dislike it. I'm not into it by the extent that I can cite prime numbers though. But I regularly tried some number crunching when I'm working on new music. I'm more of a theoretical musician in that I write down music before I even play it, so numbers and algorithms work totally fine for that, especially if you end up doing the less "standard" time signatures and such.

Tarragon I don't even want to think if it's either math or maths, it just seems another one of those language issues you've already addressed in your post

 

[Tarragon]

You say potaaaato, I say poetaito!


Could be worse - alumunum isn't alumINIum!

And 10 is pronounced two if you are really into mathS!

I love binary, and as for hexadecimal... I've been fascinated by it ever since I got into computers

 

[StephF]

You say potaaaato, I say poetaito!

I don't think it really matters which way we say it. I've noticed Americans tend to say MATH whereas as in England its more common to says MATHS.

 

[Loomis]

Sorry, I don't like maths. It is harder to pronounce than math; the s after th is awkward. I do like mathematics though.

 

[StephF]

On the subject of american mis-pronounciations one that never fails to make me mad is Nuclear. Americans regularly seem to say Nucular.
Aarrgghhh !

 

[Tarragon]

Is there "mathematic" or "mathematics!?

I like mathematic.

I like mathematics.

I like Physic.

I like Physics.

Case closed....


Anyway, I like the fact that 2 squared does not equal The square root of 2 with computers. Or something like that. Makes me happy to know there are holes in maths!

 

[Loomis]

On the subject of american mis-pronounciations one that never fails to make me mad is Nuclear. Americans regularly seem to say Nucular.
Aarrgghhh !

Please do not judge all American intelligence using George W. Bush as the standard. I never heard nuclear mispronounced before W said it in such a preposterous way.

 

[wyverary]

Please do not judge all American intelligence using George W. Bush as the standard. I never heard nuclear mispronounced before W said it in such a preposterous way.

Actually, I've heard perfectly intelligent people say "nucular" as well, to the extent where I'm beginning to suspect that pronunciation is becoming more and more acceptable. That's the way of language, I guess.

As for maths: I love it, but I can't do it. It's a fascinating and beautiful subject, and I love reading ABOUT it, but give me a simple first-year algebra problem and I'll run screaming in the opposite direction!

 

[KassieMac]

To my understanding, 'math' is proper American English and 'maths' is proper British English. Just like Americans say 'Microsoft is …' and the British say 'Microsoft are …'

Neither is incorrect, it's as they say "Two countries separated by a common language." The British version of aluminum really bothered me until I found out that in the UK it's actually spelled 'aluminium' … which made it all ok in my little pedantic, slightly-OCD brain.

'Nucular', on the other hand, is just WRONG. INCORRECT. IMPROPER. It sounds to me like a way of advertising that you don't know how to spell the word. This was the subject of many debates regarding the difference between having an accent and being illiterate (three guesses which side of the debate I was on, and the first two don't count). I had heard it before washisname said it, but since then it's unfortunately become much more prevalent.

It. Must. Be. Stopped.

So the problem with having a spellchecker on my phone is, if you reject a correction enough times it stops offering it. This doesn't bother me at all with maths or aluminium, but I won't allow it with the last one. So please bear with me for a moment …

Nuclear. Nuclear. Muscular.

DARN IT! Darn phone is now changing it to an entirely different word! *twitch*twitch*reboot*

 

[Loomis]

Actually, I've heard perfectly intelligent people say "nucular" as well, to the extent where I'm beginning to suspect that pronunciation is becoming more and more acceptable. That's the way of language, I guess.

Why does Bush go "nucular"?

 

[Tarragon]

To my understanding, 'math' is proper American English and 'maths' is proper British English. Just like Americans say 'Microsoft is …' and the British say 'Microsoft are …'

Neither is incorrect, it's as they say "Two countries separated by a common language." The British version of aluminum really bothered me until I found out that in the UK it's actually

Woa!

American English? is that like Russian Chinese?! There is not British version of aluminium, that is how the metal is spelt correctly.

English is English, as in we speak it properly over here in England!

On a more serious note, has anyone else noticed spell checkers "dumbing down" in general? I mean not even "American" English or whatever - I think if enough people spell something wrongly, the algorithms are adapting to the new way of spelling. Not right! No, seriously!

 

[KassieMac]

I suppose you are right. I never noticed this particular pronunciation before I heard Bush use it. When I hear nucular I think of the membrane surrounded center of a cell that contains DNA.

Why does Bush go "nucular"?

Actually, the cell structure reference is also 'nuclear', referring to the nucleus. So is the term 'nuclear family'. That other group of letters (that I dare not type again) is NOT a word. If it ever gets added to the dictionary I WILL KILL MYSELF! Ugh.

 

[KassieMac]

Woa!

American English? is that like Russian Chinese?! There is not British version of aluminium, that is how the metal is spelt correctly.

English is English, as in we speak it properly over here in England!

On a more serious note, has anyone else noticed spell checkers "dumbing down" in general? I mean not even "American" English or whatever - I think if enough people spell something wrongly, the algorithms are adapting to the new way of spelling. Not right! No, seriously!

I love you to bits!!

My cousin said the same thing, though he called it "The King's English" … even though there's not a king currently, and he liked to add an extraneous 'r' to the end of my name.

Interesting sidenote: the word that is spelled 'spelt' refers to a grain in the US … but we should probably get back on topic. This was so much fun though!!

 

[Loomis]

Actually, the cell structure reference is also 'nuclear', referring to the nucleus. So is the term 'nuclear family'. That other group of letters (that I dare not type again) is NOT a word. If it ever gets added to the dictionary I WILL KILL MYSELF! Ugh.

Thanks for the correction.

 

[King_Oni]

On a more serious note, has anyone else noticed spell checkers "dumbing down" in general? I mean not even "American" English or whatever - I think if enough people spell something wrongly, the algorithms are adapting to the new way of spelling. Not right! No, seriously!

Well, I guess if what people speak is considered "everyday language" it comes to no surprise that language can be fluid and to some extent "crowdsourced" as well.

It create a weird amalgam of typo's and wrong spelling most likely.. but it also puts some ambiguity on "correct spelling".

As much as I'm inconsistent with American- and British English I never identified with either and I'll just speak "English" as a global language, not something that belongs to a certain country. But hey... English is not my native language by any stretch.

A movie some people already brought up on this forum a few times, Idiocracy does address this in a way. People come out of cryostasis after 500 years. They speak perfectly fine English, yet the people in this new era speak such a dumbed down version of English they think he's crazy (among some other things).

 

[Chopstick]

I love mathematics. Numbers are so beautifully predictable.

 

[StephF]

I so agree Chopstick, there is beauty, grace and fluidity in maths. Very much like high level physics.

 

[GoofKing]

I dunno if I could call myself a math fan as I have a fascination with numbers and the occult. :/