When asked about this kind of topic I prefer to answer with the following joke: 'A mathematician, native Texan, once was asked in his class: "What is mathemati

When asked about this kind of topic I prefer to answer with the following joke: 'A mathematician, native Texan, once was asked in his class: "What is mathematics good for?" He replied: "This question makes me sick. Like when you show somebody the Grand Canyon for the first time, and he asks you `What's is good for?' What would you do? Why, you would kick the guy off the cliff".' (Source: http://www.math.utah.edu/~cherk/mathjokes.html http://www.math.utah.edu/~cherk/mathjokes.html)