3 ms·

> it's not hard to understand that "3 + 5 = 8" is not something that you'd need to literally memorize ‘Literally memorize’ as opposed to what? Counting your fi

by kgwgk 4y ago

> it's not hard to understand that "3 + 5 = 8" is not something that you'd need to literally memorize ‘Literally memorize’ as opposed to what? Counting your fingers?

WalterBright 4y ago
Mentally count 5 6 7 8, sure. Why not?
- kgwgk 4y ago
  Well, it would be 3, 4, 5 ,6, 7, 8 unless you have memorized the commutative property ;-)
  - dontcare007 4y ago
    Heck, why even memorize the names of the quantities...
  - WalterBright 4y ago
    After going around the horn a few times, I expect the student would eventually learn to take the canal :-)
michaelt 4y ago
Precisely. Our entire society is organised so that even university graduates are very rarely called upon to sum two single-digit numbers. Adding up purchases in a shop? The till does it automatically. Admittedly, the cashier will need to be able to make up change promptly - but a customer needn't check their change. Paying for parking? There will be a sign listing how much money you need to put in for 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours and so on. Picking 14 items in a warehouse? You only need to count one at a time. There's a chance to speed things up by picking 2 packs of 6 plus 2 singles? Then the computer will print that on the pick list. No computer? Then the boss will print a sign with a lookup table like "14 items -> 2 six packs + 2 singles" and tape it to the shelf. Trying to figure out whether you can get 9 people to lunch in two cars, one of which is kinda small? Add it up on your fingers, or keep your mouth shut and one of the other 8 people will figure it out. Just don't get into board gaming :)
- kgwgk 4y ago
  > Paying for parking? There will be a sign listing how much money you need to put in for 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours and so on. Then if the maximum parking time is 3 hours, it's 10:15 and you want to know at what time you need to leave you take out a cardboard clock, set the current time, and advanced the small hand one, two, three steps. And to know whether you can afford both the parking and a coffee with the money you have on you you make two piles and keep the parking money in one pocket and the coffee money in another pocket. I got it. [I'm joking, our society is organised in such a way that you don't need to be able to read a clock or handle money.]
  - michaelt 4y ago
    > Then if the maximum parking time is 3 hours, it's 10:15 and you want to know at what time you need to leave you take out a cardboard clock, set the current time, and advanced the small hand one, two, three steps. Not at all - you simply count hours using your fingers.
    - kgwgk 4y ago
      Come on, use the right tool for the job!
  - charlieyu1 4y ago
    Sigh, just happened to me. Booked a room at 1:45 for 3 hours, and was told to leave at 4. The staff insisted so hard that it was like we are the troublesome customer who try to milk out something. A jaw-dropping moment. Maybe school education is more important than we though.
    - geoduck14 4y ago
      >Booked a room at 1:45 for 3 hours, and was told to leave at 4. If you are renting a hotel room by the hour, it is highly likely that the staff are poorly educated
    - annyeonghada 4y ago
dboreham 4y ago
Number line.

by kgwgk 4y ago

> it's not hard to understand that "3 + 5 = 8" is not something that you'd need to literally memorize ‘Literally memorize’ as opposed to what? Counting your fingers?

WalterBright 4y ago

Mentally count 5 6 7 8, sure. Why not?

kgwgk 4y ago
Well, it would be 3, 4, 5 ,6, 7, 8 unless you have memorized the commutative property ;-)
- dontcare007 4y ago
  Heck, why even memorize the names of the quantities...
- WalterBright 4y ago
  After going around the horn a few times, I expect the student would eventually learn to take the canal :-)

michaelt 4y ago

Precisely. Our entire society is organised so that even university graduates are very rarely called upon to sum two single-digit numbers. Adding up purchases in a shop? The till does it automatically. Admittedly, the cashier will need to be able to make up change promptly - but a customer needn't check their change. Paying for parking? There will be a sign listing how much money you need to put in for 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours and so on. Picking 14 items in a warehouse? You only need to count one at a time. There's a chance to speed things up by picking 2 packs of 6 plus 2 singles? Then the computer will print that on the pick list. No computer? Then the boss will print a sign with a lookup table like "14 items -> 2 six packs + 2 singles" and tape it to the shelf. Trying to figure out whether you can get 9 people to lunch in two cars, one of which is kinda small? Add it up on your fingers, or keep your mouth shut and one of the other 8 people will figure it out. Just don't get into board gaming :)

kgwgk 4y ago
> Paying for parking? There will be a sign listing how much money you need to put in for 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours and so on. Then if the maximum parking time is 3 hours, it's 10:15 and you want to know at what time you need to leave you take out a cardboard clock, set the current time, and advanced the small hand one, two, three steps. And to know whether you can afford both the parking and a coffee with the money you have on you you make two piles and keep the parking money in one pocket and the coffee money in another pocket. I got it. [I'm joking, our society is organised in such a way that you don't need to be able to read a clock or handle money.]
- michaelt 4y ago
  > Then if the maximum parking time is 3 hours, it's 10:15 and you want to know at what time you need to leave you take out a cardboard clock, set the current time, and advanced the small hand one, two, three steps. Not at all - you simply count hours using your fingers.
  - kgwgk 4y ago
    Come on, use the right tool for the job!
- charlieyu1 4y ago
  Sigh, just happened to me. Booked a room at 1:45 for 3 hours, and was told to leave at 4. The staff insisted so hard that it was like we are the troublesome customer who try to milk out something. A jaw-dropping moment. Maybe school education is more important than we though.
  - geoduck14 4y ago
    >Booked a room at 1:45 for 3 hours, and was told to leave at 4. If you are renting a hotel room by the hour, it is highly likely that the staff are poorly educated
  - annyeonghada 4y ago

dboreham 4y ago

Number line.