The Sin of Trigonometry.

[Xeno.of.athens]

I have a Catholic friend who is irritated by the use of computers to process "big data" and develop AI to replace traditional geometry and trigonometry. He thinks it is part of the overall pervasiveness of sin in the world a kind of sin of trigonometry. What do you think?

 

[tdidymas]

I have a Catholic friend who is irritated by the use of computers to process "big data" and develop AI to replace traditional geometry and trigonometry. He thinks it is part of the overall pervasiveness of sin in the world and kind of sin of trigonometry. What do you think?

There is nothing wrong with Trig or any other mathematics. If there is any sin in that or AI, it is the usage of it. Anyone can use anything in the world for good or evil. Paul wrote that idols were nothing, so that eating meat sacrificed to idols was nothing; however, if you know that someone else is superstitious, then you shouldn't eat it so that their conscience would not be shocked. If someone uses trig or AI for an evil purpose, like manipulating others for personal gain or an evil political agenda, then the sin is in the purpose of what they are using it for. The AI is nothing and is amoral; it is the usage of it that can be good or evil. It depends on what it is used for, that is, the agenda of whoever is using it.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

There is nothing wrong with Trig or any other mathematics. If there is any sin in that or AI, it is the usage of it. Anyone can use anything in the world for good or evil. Paul wrote that idols were nothing, so that eating meat sacrificed to idols was nothing; however, if you know that someone else is superstitious, then you shouldn't eat it so that their conscience would not be shocked. If someone uses trig or AI for an evil purpose, like manipulating others for personal gain or an evil political agenda, then the sin is in the purpose of what they are using it for. The AI is nothing and is amoral; it is the usage of it that can be good or evil. It depends on what it is used for, that is, the agenda of whoever is using it.

I am - a little humorously - using sin as a pun for the trigonometric function sin[e]as well as the moral and theological usage where sin is to love what is evil.

 

[tdidymas]

I am - a little humorously - using sin as a pun for the trigonometric function sin[e]as well as the moral and theological usage where sin is to love what is evil.

I see, that was unclear in what you wrote. It appeared to me that your catholic friend was saying that using AI for trig and geometry was sinful. Sorry I didn't get your humor.

 

[Matt5]

Look at the future of AI. A plane drops a load of AI driven drones ("Slaughterbots") with facial recognition. They take out half the city of wrong-thinking individuals. Pretty cool, until you are in the wrong half.

Sci-Fi Short Film “Slaughterbots” | DUST - YouTube

 

[AV1611VET]

I have a Catholic friend who is irritated by the use of computers to process "big data" and develop AI to replace traditional geometry and trigonometry. He thinks it is part of the overall pervasiveness of sin in the world and kind of sin of trigonometry. What do you think?

Ask him if he prefers long division to short division.

 

[Tuur]

I have a Catholic friend who is irritated by the use of computers to process "big data" and develop AI to replace traditional geometry and trigonometry. He thinks it is part of the overall pervasiveness of sin in the world and kind of sin of trigonometry. What do you think?

In one word, "Huh?" Geometry and trigonometry has nothing to do with "big data." AI, on the other hand, can be applied by it. It's like the chicken hiring a fox to protect the henhouse from weasels.

 

[Tuur]

I am - a little humorously - using sin as a pun for the trigonometric function sin[e]as well as the moral and theological usage where sin is to love what is evil.

And I'm still sleepy and not caffeinated. Though my calculators and yes, slide rules, have "Sin" on them, I still think of it as "Sine."

 

[AlexB23]

I have a Catholic friend who is irritated by the use of computers to process "big data" and develop AI to replace traditional geometry and trigonometry. He thinks it is part of the overall pervasiveness of sin in the world a kind of sin of trigonometry. What do you think?

Well, there is sin, and cos in trigonometry. Instead of using sin(x), one could use cos(x+90°), assuming the trig is done using degrees.

 

[BobRyan]

I have a Catholic friend who is irritated by the use of computers to process "big data" and develop AI to replace traditional geometry and trigonometry. He thinks it is part of the overall pervasiveness of sin in the world a kind of sin of trigonometry. What do you think?

If one is using an AI tool to get to step-by-step solutions on geometry or trig homework assignments they are cheating ... just like using a calculator to solve addition, division, square root, n log(x) problems would be cheating in the old days.

But is that a "general theology" question?

 

[AlexB23]

If one is using an AI tool to get to step-by-step solutions on geometry or trig homework assignments they are cheating ... just like using a calculator to solve addition, division, square root, n log(x) problems would be cheating in the old days.

But is that a "general theology" question?

Yep, and also AI is pretty bad at math, especially ChatGPT from what I have heard, so if one uses AI, they would probably get the answer wrong.

 

[BobRyan]

Yep, and also AI is pretty bad at math, especially ChatGPT from what I have heard, so if one uses AI, they would probably get the answer wrong.

That idea did not age well with calculators

 

[AlexB23]

That idea did not age well with calculators

Correct. Eventually AI will get better at math, just like calculators improved rapidly.