[CS-FSLUG] Calculus

[Yama Ploskonka]

David Aikema wrote:
> On 5/24/06, Yama Ploskonka <Yama at veritasacademy.net> wrote:
>> If science is finding out data about data, and data is U, i.e. Creation
>> and Man's delving and musings on it, then the use and the parts that
>> require Calculus is so minuscule as to be less than a rounding error.
> 
> I beg to differ.
> 
You may.  I'd like to know why you do, though.

>> Yet you cannot get your degree unless you pass Calculus.  I can say with
>> full (empirical) confidence that 99.9 % of more of _successful_ PhDs
>> will never again see Calculus, until the day their chil is struggling
>> with homework, and most will wisely pretend they are busy.
> 
> Empirical, you say?  Have you truly spoken to at least 1000 PhDs to
> inquire as to their usage of mathematics, or is there some survery
> behind this?

No, I haven't. It would be a fun undertaking, though.  No one in 
academia would ever dare, or would they?  These are days when 
credentials and street cred are built faster by being as divergent as 
possible, so maybe a maverick somewhere with the resources to do so just 
might.

I'd looooove to see those numbers, and see the Microsoft ivory tower 
confounded.  Even if it were 99.7 instead of 99.9, it would prove the 
point.  I'd rather be wrong in the details, at peace in the concept...  :-)

>> because a sinful Harvard degree is worth more in the marketplace than a
>> Bob Jones U one.  If I had my way, both would be worth zero, and people
> 
> Consider BJU's policy banning interracial relationships 

<snip>

I'm so sorry I gave the impression I was defending BJU.

AFAIAC they're as bad as, say, Harvard.  Or as good.  Take your pick.  I 
was just referring to the marketplace value of a BJU degree versus a 
Harvard one. Romans 3:10-12 to the whole lot.  I guess that BJU would 
want to differ about the "profitable" line, though... :-)

Yet, even with all its wrongs and my silly ideas, I'd rather be sold a 
used car by a BJU graduate than a Harvard one (probably more likely, 
too).  There's that edge of honesty that I have more hopes for in 
someone who publicly procalims Christ than one who doesn't.  But I would 
want the Harvard one to have been the one who designed the airbag (he 
probably used Calculus for that), even if he uses the company domestic 
partner benefits.

Bless you, I appreciate this conversation.  As a teacher I have to make 
sure my kids _do_ learn their calculus, even though I might not care for 
it myself.  Being the one who teaches Latin makes it even worse, since I 
put that in the same bag as Calculus, almost, but in our UMS school, 
it's vital.  This conversation is letting me see whether I am right 
about those concepts I otherwise get very little chance to vent.
Needs lots of discipline in holding my opinions away from the job at 
hand.  (I am a fan of Greek myself, but that's another story entirely)

BTW. that example of real-life calculus, do you have it?  Sorry to bug 
you, but it would make my heart to be more at peace to know it is not 
100% not used.  I am somewhat afraid of total certainities, especially 
when I am the only one to say them...  They burn that kind of guys, you 
know.  :-)

Yama