proof positive that paragraphs have no place in algebra
posted at 2:07 pm by brandon in math class is tough!
A pitched a hissy fit over the Michael J. Fox quotation, so let’s see how this one grabs him.
From one of American cinema’s great classics, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion:
Romy: “All right, according to this chart, if we wanna lose a pound a day, we have to burn twice as many calories as we eat. So that means if we wanna burn 4000 calories, we only have to run twenty miles a day!”
Michele: “Oh! Hey Romy, remember Mrs. Shivitz’s class? There was, like, always a word problem. Like, there’s a guy in a rowboat going X miles, and the current is going, like, you know… some other miles, and… how long does it take him to get to town? It was like, ‘Who cares? Who wants to go to town with somebody who drives a rowboat?!'”
To quote Joanne Woodward, my heart. Is full.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:07 am
This quote brings back many memories of math problems, from, yes, rivers and currents, to trains and flies (see here or here). The most amusing problems, though, came from physics: I remember two “theme” tests, one involving Xena: Warrior Princess, and another involving cats and mice on giant turntables. How is that for esoteric?