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To Live Your Best Life, Do Mathematics

quantamagazine.org

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Re: To Live Your Best Life, Do Mathematics

#4
post #2

I wonder if inmates have access to computers, would they become good programmers?

Give anyone (not just inmates) a computer and they are much more likely to become good Candy Crush players, Facebook users, and Buzzfeed readers than good programmers.

Re: To Live Your Best Life, Do Mathematics

#6
post #2

I wonder if inmates have access to computers, would they become good programmers?

Give anyone (not just inmates) a computer and they are much more likely to become good Candy Crush players, Facebook users, and Buzzfeed readers than good programmers.

Give a man a computer, feed his mind for a day. teach a man to computer ...

Re: To Live Your Best Life, Do Mathematics

#7

Francis is a great lecturer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqEyWLGvvdw&list=PL04BA7A9EB...

I literally start to love mathematics with him. Before watching his lectures I always afraid of mathematics, but watching his Real Analysis class, developed a new sense in me about mathematics. From that point I always liked mathematics.

Re: To Live Your Best Life, Do Mathematics

#8
Based on all the supposed benefits of doing math, it sounds like people would be better off studying philosophy. Same benefits but a much broader appeal, and far more applicable to most people's everyday lives.

When I finally "discovered" philosophy in college, I was angry that we hadn't been exposed to it at all in middle or high school. Instead, I'd been forced to waste years on things like math, biology, etc. that I had no interest in and no use for. Our history / social studies classes would be greatly improved if they incorporated more philosophy.

Re: To Live Your Best Life, Do Mathematics

#9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Give anyone (not just inmates) a computer and they are much more likely to become good Candy Crush players, Facebook users, and Buzzfeed readers than good programmers.

Give a man a computer, feed his mind for a day. teach a man to computer ...

More like give a man a computer and he'll start looking at porn.

Re: To Live Your Best Life, Do Mathematics

#10
post #2

I wonder if inmates have access to computers, would they become good programmers?

Give anyone (not just inmates) a computer and they are much more likely to become good Candy Crush players, Facebook users, and Buzzfeed readers than good programmers.

What if they have an computer with no games and no internet.

As to your response... Should inmates be deprived of all distractions, especially trivial ones? How often do you BuzzFeed or candy crush or Facebook?

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