Math is racist

[Hammster]

Not the Bee: Teacher, BLM activist says "2 + 2 = 4" is a "cultural" belief based on "western imperialism/colonization"

Yep. It’s true.

 

[bèlla]

 

[Chesterton]

Postmodernism.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Not the Bee: Teacher, BLM activist says "2 + 2 = 4" is a "cultural" belief based on "western imperialism/colonization"

Yep. It’s true.

So it's a CF thread in the News section about an article in a "news" website (I couldn't figure out what that site was, I've never seen it before) about a tweet that says something DUMB.

[The symbols "2", "4", "+", and "=" are cultural artifacts, but given the definitions we use, "2+2" can only be " = 4". A different would have chosen different symbols. The fact that these symbols dominate the globe does say something about the history of mathematics and the spread and dominance of culture.]

 

[Chesterton]

So it's a CF thread in the News section about an article in a "news" website (I couldn't figure out what that site was, I've never seen it before) about a tweet that says something DUMB.

[The symbols "2", "4", "+", and "=" are cultural artifacts, but given the definitions we use, "2+2" can only be " = 4". A different would have chosen different symbols. The fact that these symbols dominate the globe does say something about the history of mathematics and the spread and dominance of culture.]

You must be reading some other tweet. She says nothing about the symbols.

 

[Abi Salomao]

So it's a CF thread in the News section about an article in a "news" website (I couldn't figure out what that site was, I've never seen it before) about a tweet that says something DUMB.

[The symbols "2", "4", "+", and "=" are cultural artifacts, but given the definitions we use, "2+2" can only be " = 4". A different would have chosen different symbols. The fact that these symbols dominate the globe does say something about the history of mathematics and the spread and dominance of culture.]

That "2 + 2 = 4" demonstrates the existence of God, in its logic, and order and constancy. Mathematics shows an eternal mind that governs all, whose laws govern everything beneath this Divine Mind. It (mathematics) is a 'universal' language (syntax, structure, form, etc) that applies everywhere.

 

[ReesePiece23]

I don't think this silliness warrants conversation anymore.

Does that make me racist? If you say so. I really don't care either way.

 

[Hans Blaster]

You must be reading some other tweet. She says nothing about the symbols.

Did I say that she did. I said this was a dumb thread about a dumb article about a dumb tweet.

The "cultural aspect" of the symbols was all me and not related to the stupidity of the tweet that spawned the article... When I spoke about the symbols, I was only saying that the shapes of the symbols and names of these symbols are aspects of our culture and not intrinsic to the mathematical idea.

 

[keith99]

But whose culture? Basic Arabic notation!

 

[Hans Blaster]

That "2 + 2 = 4" demonstrates the existence of God, in its logic, and order and constancy. Mathematics shows an eternal mind that governs all, whose laws govern everything beneath this Divine Mind. It (mathematics) is a 'universal' language (syntax, structure, form, etc) that applies everywhere.

No.

Do you think your god could make 2+2=5 (using the standard understanding of these symbols in our culture) or does it have no choice but for 2+2 to be 4?

 

[Hans Blaster]

But whose culture? Basic Arabic notation!

It got into western culture and then the rest of the world (mostly accepted it). Even though we call them "Arabic" numerals, they do not resemble the numerals used in Arabic. (Look at the number plates on cars in many Mid. East. countries) I think they are originally from India, but were introduced to the West by the Arabs, so we call them "Arabic".

 

[Aryeh Jay]

2+2 can also equal 11, imagine that.

 

[Chesterton]

But whose culture? Basic Arabic notation!

No. All Indian, except for the "=" sign, which comes from a Welshman. (Unless "Welshman" is racist like "Chinaman", in which case, "a man who is Welsh".)

 

[Hans Blaster]

2+2 can also equal 11, imagine that.

Different symbols for different systems!

One might hope things would be a bit more advanced in 2202211.

(and as an aside, there are 10 kinds of people, those that understand binary and those that don't)

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Different symbols for different systems!

One might hope things would be a bit more advanced in 2202211.

(and as an aside, there are 10 kinds of people, those that understand binary and those that don't)

Ah, but that was Ternary or Base 3, Binary is so 11111000110.

 

[Radagast]

Not the Bee: Teacher, BLM activist says "2 + 2 = 4" is a "cultural" belief based on "western imperialism/colonization"

Silly, but she's not the first woke academic to say that sort of thing.

 

[Kaon]

Not the Bee: Teacher, BLM activist says "2 + 2 = 4" is a "cultural" belief based on "western imperialism/colonization"

Yep. It’s true.

This post is transparent.

Were you trying to expose yourself, or do you not realize it?

 

[Hans Blaster]

This post is transparent.

Were you trying to expose yourself, or do you not realize it?

Some of them are already well exposed by recent events.

 

[Radagast]

So it's a CF thread in the News section about an article in a "news" website (I couldn't figure out what that site was, I've never seen it before) about a tweet that says something DUMB.

2+2=4 is a universal, eternal truth. The fact that a woke academic denies that it is true is disconcerting.

[The symbols "2", "4", "+", and "=" are cultural artifacts, but given the definitions we use, "2+2" can only be " = 4". A different would have chosen different symbols. The fact that these symbols dominate the globe does say something about the history of mathematics and the spread and dominance of culture.]

The symbols 2 and 4 come from India, via Western Arabic numerals, while + comes from Germany (1489), and = from Wales and England (1557).

But the tweet isn't about the symbols, it's about the truth of 2+2=4, which this particular woke academic denies.

 

[Hans Blaster]

But the tweet isn't about the symbols, it's about the truth of 2+2=4, which this particular woke academic denies.

It wasn't, but I was trying to add something to this otherwise dire thread about a stupid claim (that of this 'woke academic')