Boris Johnson's mathematical illiteracy

[Stranger]

Apart from all the other issues with the leaked WhatsApp messages, this got a passing mention on the Today programme this morning and I've found numerous reports on other news sites (including, obviously, the Torygraphy, and The Sun).

Boris Johnson Mocked For Failing To Grasp Basic Maths During Pandemic

Images of full exchange on twitter.

So he was educated at Eton, got a degree from Oxford, and was elected as PM without learning the basics of probabilities and percentages...

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Boris has almost instantly gone from hero to zero, from Anchor to wanker, from stonker to plonker, from spaff to Naff.

Snap election on way?

[Nearly Sane]

Boris has almost instantly gone from hero to zero, from Anchor to wanker, from stonker to plonker, from spaff to Naff.

Snap election on way?

Unless the opinion polls take a huge swing, no.

[Nearly Sane]

Apart from all the other issues with the leaked WhatsApp messages, this got a passing mention on the Today programme this morning and I've found numerous reports on other news sites (including, obviously, the Torygraphy, and The Sun).

Boris Johnson Mocked For Failing To Grasp Basic Maths During Pandemic

Images of full exchange on twitter.

So he was educated at Eton, got a degree from Oxford, and was elected as PM without learning the basics of probabilities and percentages...

or contextual reading.


To be fair he may have 'unlearned' everything in order to be able to write journalese to 'pep up' stories.

Also given many medical doctors don't seem to have been taught about statistics used in a medical context, why expect an average classicist to understand them?

[Stranger]

Also given many medical doctors don't seem to have been taught about statistics used in a medical context, why expect an average classicist to understand them?

It is indeed frightening how little doctors seem to understand about probability and statistics (read an example in Rationality by Steven Pinker recently) but not getting that 0.04 represents 4% is pretty damn basic.

[Udayana]

Doubt that he ever gave a toss about anything other than getting his own way. Certainly has no understanding of numbers - hence the chaos of his finances, counting his children ...