This generation gap doesn't exist in the sciences and engineering, IMO. For example, even the crappiest students in my class (in Physics) knew how to do a tayl

This generation gap doesn't exist in the sciences and engineering, IMO. For example, even the crappiest students in my class (in Physics) knew how to do a taylor expansion to approximate the sine of something, and they knew power series and all sorts of other stuff. You have to know how in order to simplify algebra in many cases. If there is a generation gap, it's because professors aren't strict enough and unwavering on their decisions to not use calculators, or the courses aren't doing hard enough algebra and calculus to really merit not using a calculator. When you get into the really hard stuff, not even Maple can help you half the time.