Author Topic: Help with homework?  (Read 614 times)

Udayana

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Help with homework?
« on: February 22, 2017, 12:06:19 PM »
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39045906

Ok, so a 10 year old appeals to the (Ohio) police for some help with her maths homework. they give her a wrong and, ultimately, totally confused, answer and this is counted as a "win"?

On other threads various categories of fallacy, illogic and irrational beliefs have been discussed to quite some depth. Some bemoan the lack of critical thinking or look for ways to remove irrational behaviour. However, life is not rational itself is it? It managed fine (what is fine though?) for 3 billion years before any humans had a thought or uttered a word. Our innate ability for maths and science is actually rubbish.

If you sat on a mountain and tried to work out your next action entirely rationally and logically before doing anything, how far would you actually get? Let's face up to the fact that we are not essentially rational, and reason is just a little trick that we (or some of us anyway) have picked up by the way. Even most of our best achievements have been started by people thinking, apparently mad, out of the box, or out of their tree, on a different tack to the rationally agreed consensus- mostly by accident, mistake or completely in error. Let alone after weird dreams or too much drinking or drugs!

Can we even have a discussion without days of nitpicking on wording :)

Ah, but I was so much older then ... I'm younger than that now

Aruntraveller

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Re: Help with homework?
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2017, 12:13:10 PM »
Quote
Even most of our best achievements have been started by people thinking, apparently mad, out of the box, or out of their tree, on a different tack to the rationally agreed consensus- mostly by accident, mistake or completely in error

Not too sure about this. Sure that does happen on occasions - but in other cases it is a case of small, gradual, incremental improvements that bring the biggest benefits to various achievements for example in medicine or engineering.

I think it would be more accurate to say that it is a mix of a conservative, developmental approach to tackling problems; with the flashes of wild inspiration that you speak of.
Before we work on Artificial Intelligence shouldn't we address the problem of natural stupidity.

Udayana

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Re: Help with homework?
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2017, 12:21:39 PM »
Yes, true, whatever the inspiration right or wrong, it can take years of difficult work to bring to useful improvements or other conclusion.

Yet a stupid slogan or trendy look can sweep the globe in a day?
Ah, but I was so much older then ... I'm younger than that now