I received a message from Annie: Thank you for the posting about equations and I can see the value of making math every day, non-scary conversation, but right now I have to solve E=mc² before test day next week. The most famous one of them all: E = mc² or energy = mass x speed of light squared. The sad thing is that this equation … [Read more...] about E=mc²
Maths
E=mc²
Why using average is a fairly average way of measuring anything
One of the reasons for writing this blog post is to help people make sense of numbers – the other is because my family is tired of listening to me. The biggest bugbear in my life is how we use the average as a measurement when it not only tells you very little but also hides the real story. Journalists particularly should work on their number literacy, … [Read more...] about Why using average is a fairly average way of measuring anything
Tax season and the statistics keep coming
Journalists love numbers and every end of tax season they have a field day reporting a whole lot of data that in our minds should be the same thing, but aren’t. Why is income not equal to GDP per capita (per capita = per person)? What is the difference between income and wealth? GDP represents everything that happens on an economic level in your … [Read more...] about Tax season and the statistics keep coming
Let’s blame inflation… or do we blame somebody for inflation… either way, inflation is the bad guy… Right?
Investopedia defines inflation as ‘the decline of purchasing power of a given currency over time. A quantitative estimate of the rate at which the decline in purchasing power occurs can be reflected in the increase of an average price level of a basket of selected goods and services in an economy over some period of time. The rise in the general level of prices, … [Read more...] about Let’s blame inflation… or do we blame somebody for inflation… either way, inflation is the bad guy… Right?
Another fine day of not using algebra…
How many memes do we have which go something like “Another day where I didn’t use algebra.”? Actually, you do. Every day. Numerous times. The world is trying to get rid of plastic bags, so we all have our trusted cloth bags that we schlep to the shops. We keep one or two bags in our cars, but when we have to do the big shop, … [Read more...] about Another fine day of not using algebra…