-
Recent Posts
Archives
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
Categories
Meta
Twitter
Error: Please make sure the Twitter account is public.
EthicalDative 
Today’s Useful Moral
A math equation recently stirred up trouble by seeming to offer two equally valid, and very different, solutions. Some software programs flatly refused to take the bait. Credit Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images.
Strogatz reprises an online debate about the answer to this equation:
8 ÷ 2(2+2) = ?
I got 16. The answer can be either 16 or 1 depending on two differing standards for order of operations that are equally valid. Mr. Strogatz concludes that his notation for the equation had a built-in ambiguity, which he intended.
(c) 2019 JMN
Share this:
Like this:
About JMN
I live in Texas and devote much of my time to easel painting on an amateur basis. I stream a lot of music, mostly jazz, throughout the day. I like to read and memorize poetry.