Ouroboros Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Who's Alge and why do you like her bra? It's a new product. It's the organic bra, made only with natural products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mriana Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I'll admit I'm no good at math either, but how could the answer not be 10 cents? IF the bat and ball together is $1.10 and the bat is a $1 more than the ball... Somehow it makes no sense that the ball is not 10 cents. Seems anything else is just plain bogus. However, if you are buying the bat and ball together for $1.10, then you paid 55 cents ea for them. So if the bat is a dollar more than the ball, if bought separately, you're getting jipped. Highway robbery. $1.00 - .10 = .90. So if the bat costs a dollar, and the ball costs ten cents, then the bat is only ninety cents more than the ball, not a dollar. In order for the bat to be a dollar more than the ball and for it to come out to $1.10, the bat has to be $1.05 and the ball has to be .05. The key word in this problem is more The bat costs a dollar more than the ball. That is not a dollar more. That technically is a $1.05 more. Oh whatever. It would be nice to have 1950 prices again, esp in this economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 This makes me think this is a poor atheism determinant test. Agree. I've met Christian math doctorates, and atheists with no sense of math. Besides, not all math is like this kind of math. Word problems tend to require a different way of thinking than many other areas of math. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScifiChick Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I'll admit I'm no good at math either, but how could the answer not be 10 cents? IF the bat and ball together is $1.10 and the bat is a $1 more than the ball... Somehow it makes no sense that the ball is not 10 cents. Seems anything else is just plain bogus. However, if you are buying the bat and ball together for $1.10, then you paid 55 cents ea for them. So if the bat is a dollar more than the ball, if bought separately, you're getting jipped. Highway robbery. $1.00 - .10 = .90. So if the bat costs a dollar, and the ball costs ten cents, then the bat is only ninety cents more than the ball, not a dollar. In order for the bat to be a dollar more than the ball and for it to come out to $1.10, the bat has to be $1.05 and the ball has to be .05. The key word in this problem is more The bat costs a dollar more than the ball. That is not a dollar more. That technically is a $1.05 more. Oh whatever. It would be nice to have 1950 prices again, esp in this economy. No. It is a dollar more full stop. There's no way to technically make it $1.05 more. If I pay .05 for a ball and I pay $1.05 for a bat, then I've paid one dollar more for the bat than I paid for the ball, but I paid $1.10 total. If you subtract .05 from 1.05, you get 1.00, which is how it's a dollar more. For it to be 1.05 more, you would have to pay $1.15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 This makes me think this is a poor atheism determinant test. It doesn't measure the part of the brain that works out the same types of problems that relate to the more philosophical god question. I agree with this too. There's so many factors that influence god belief (or lack of), including human psychology and behavior, science, history, culture, sociology, etc., that I don't know how it could be reduced to a combination reading comprehension/algebra test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 That is not a dollar more. That technically is a $1.05 more. This is what was throwing me off also. The way it is worded, it leads you to think the bat was $1.00. We actually don't know the price of the bat or the ball, so to figure it out you need to do some "solve for x" linear equations, which is where I completely tune out and lose all interest. It's not worth the torture.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 . Although even when I re-read the statement again, I still interpret it as $1 is the absolute cost of the bat, not a cost relative to the price of the ball. The relative aspect is ok with me, it's the numbers that trip me up. I was able to work it out too, but it was painful and to repeat it I have to go back through Scifichick's explanation again. Here's how my brain wants to work it out: $1 more than the ball. If the ball costs .10 and the total is 1.10, adding $1 to .10 gives me 1.10. I think there is a missing neuropathway in my brain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 This makes me think this is a poor atheism determinant test. Agree. I've met Christian math doctorates, and atheists with no sense of math. Besides, not all math is like this kind of math. Word problems tend to require a different way of thinking than many other areas of math. Word problems are always harder for me than equations. What is strange is I understand statistical math quite easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mriana Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 That is not a dollar more. That technically is a $1.05 more. This is what was throwing me off also. The way it is worded, it leads you to think the bat was $1.00. We actually don't know the price of the bat or the ball, so to figure it out you need to do some "solve for x" linear equations, which is where I completely tune out and lose all interest. It's not worth the torture.... Thus you need to use Algebra to solve the problem. I agree with you. It is not worth the brain torture, esp the torture of untangling the bad wording of the problem. That has always been my issue with mixing numbers with letters, as well as silly word problems. They are invariably worded very badly and twists English in a way that doesn't makes sense when it comes to solving the problem. I made As in Psychology until it came to stats and I made As in English. Oddly enough, fractions and Chemistry have always been easy to me and I often found it odd that people thought fractions were hard. Fractions are easy, but regular math, stats, Algebra, and other advance math, is hard. Chemistry is easy, despite any math that comes with it, as long as my brain does not reverse or mix up numbers. Don't ask me why. My biggest problem with math is that I have what I call Math Dyslexia. I found out in recent years that actually has a name. I'm fine with letters and words, but when it comes to numbers, my brain either reverses them or mixes up the order of them. Thus, my brain can turn a 7 into a 1 or vice versa or a change other numbers or turn multiple numbers like 1234 into 4231 or something insane. I can't do it intentionally to show you, but if I'm just working with numbers, without focusing hard to avoid such problems and even then..., it crops up for others to see it. Thus, if you are working with me, in person, and trying to help me understand it, even using pencil and paper, you would probably see it crop up in the process. Teachers never caught this problem until I was in college and then some prof noticed and sent me to counseling and testing (or whatever it was called). They did what they had to do, told me the name of this form of dyslexia, but I never can remember the name of it, so I just call it "Math Dyslexia", although that is not an accurate label. Ah, yes. It was when I was taking stats for my Psych major that a prof spotted it. Leave to Psychologists teaching psychology students to see such things. Even so they sent me to the office that tests for learning disorders. Too bad it was not found in the early 70s when I was in elementary school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 Here's how my brain wants to work it out: $1 more than the ball. If the ball costs .10 and the total is 1.10, adding $1 to .10 gives me 1.10. I think there is a missing neuropathway in my brain. That's similar to how I worked it, except I said: The bat is $1.00 more than the ball. The total is $1.10, so subtract $1 for the bat and you are left with .10, the price of the ball. If I said the bat is $1.00 plus the ball, by just reading it one might think they both are the same thing and not see the difference. Which in my case I might read them both over and over and still not see any difference. Oh well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 I hear ya. If math is involved count me out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mriana Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I hear ya. If math is involved count me out! Yes, that is the way I've gotten in my old age. It's too much. Has been all my life, but it gets worse as I get older. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 This makes me think this is a poor atheism determinant test. Agree. I've met Christian math doctorates, and atheists with no sense of math. Besides, not all math is like this kind of math. Word problems tend to require a different way of thinking than many other areas of math. Word problems are always harder for me than equations. What is strange is I understand statistical math quite easily. Word problems are harder for me too. I have to rewrite them as equations to get the idea behind the words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notazombie Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Dangit! I got the ball and bat thing right off the bat (pun intended) but I'm still stuck on Florduh's hotel room problem! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Dangit! I got the ball and bat thing right off the bat (pun intended) but I'm still stuck on Florduh's hotel room problem! They paid $9 each, which is $27. $25 to the hotel, and $2 to the bellhop. The "3 men each paid $9 for the room, which is a total of $27 add the $2 that the bellboy kept = $29" is misleading. The $2 to the bellhop is part of the $9 they paid, not the $5. Hotel: $25 Bellhop: $2 Men: 3x$1= $3 Sum= $30 Or put it this way: Men paid: $27 Hotel: $25 Bellhop: $2. Not this since it's part of two different equations: Men paid: $27 Bellhop got $2 Sum= $29. Wrong since there's no "27+2=29", but the real equation is 27-2=25, or 30-3-2=25. It's like doing something like this: I have five apples, then I add two apples. So where are the three apples after I subtract the two from the five? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hereticzero Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I did have to think about it, and it is as a result of how the thing is worded. It leads you to believe the bat is a dollar because the bat is a dollar more than the ball. But if the ball was .10, and you subtract that from a dollar, you would get .90. That's why the ball has to be .05 because 1.05-.05=1.00, and that's the only way for the bat to be a dollar more than the ball. Huh? Duh, I'm special cuz I still don't get it. I use a calculator at the grocery store. I grew up when in math class we were still being taught how to use an abacus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mriana Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I did have to think about it, and it is as a result of how the thing is worded. It leads you to believe the bat is a dollar because the bat is a dollar more than the ball. But if the ball was .10, and you subtract that from a dollar, you would get .90. That's why the ball has to be .05 because 1.05-.05=1.00, and that's the only way for the bat to be a dollar more than the ball. Huh? Duh, I'm special cuz I still don't get it. I use a calculator at the grocery store. I grew up when in math class we were still being taught how to use an abacus. I don't get it either. Not even the hotel room. That one seems worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadedAtheist Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I got it after a little while. To word it differently: A bat and a ball cost $1.10. If you minus $1 from the cost of the bat, the bat costs the same price as the ball. With this in mind, how much is the ball? Well, if you minus a dollar from the bat, and the total price is $1.10, that means you have 10c left. If they cost the same price after the subtraction, it means they cost 5c each. So when it means $1 more, it's basically saying that if you subtract the price of the ball from the price of the bat, there needs to be $1 left. If the price of the bat was $1 and you subtracted the cost of the ball, you'd only have 90c left, not a dollar. That's the way I wrapped my head around it. I had to read Scifi's post about 2 times till I got it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScifiChick Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I don't get it either. Not even the hotel room. That one seems worse. The hotel room one is worse. It's a riddle rather than a straightforward word problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RankStranger Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Y'all should be glad you don't have to integrals with parts and hyperbolic inverse trig functions... Sounds like you're in Calc III right now? I actually enjoyed math up through that class Just wait 'til differential equations. That's where I surpassed my 'enjoyment' level. I could probably take just about any undergraduate level math class and do just fine if I was interested... but with differential equations I found just how UNinterested I am in math once it gets beyond a certain point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Y'all should be glad you don't have to integrals with parts and hyperbolic inverse trig functions... Sounds like you're in Calc III right now? I actually enjoyed math up through that class No. Only Calc II. It'll be more in III. And I'm planning on taking two other higher level math classes after that. Just wait 'til differential equations. That's where I surpassed my 'enjoyment' level. That's one of the other classes... Yeah... It's really But I'm doing okay though. It's just hard to remember all tricks and methods from all levels. A test can suddenly contain a question where you have to remember some detail from a year ago. I could probably take just about any undergraduate level math class and do just fine if I was interested... but with differential equations I found just how UNinterested I am in math once it gets beyond a certain point. I'm glad I haven't lost my interest yet. It's just difficult and head-spinning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YellowJacket Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 calm down, Atheists. It's perfectly acceptable for a minority group to suck at math. I have gay friends who can't dress hair, decorate, or quote lyrics from Broadway showtunes . Strange, but true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mriana Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 They can't do hair? Oh honey, you much let me help you with that hair! That is one thing I like about gay dudes. Many are into fashion and hair, as well as being effeminate. They can be as fun to hang out with as one of the girls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpheliaGinger Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Generally, those who are not so adept in mathmatics are much better in language. I too have a mental block when it comes to mathmatics--a blockage I have been trying to pour drano on--but I have long since stop worrying about feeling like an idiot because I know I can't possilbly be adept in both language mechanics and advanced mathmatics. As for the original riddle, I did intially come up with the same conclusion but then thought about how taxes come into play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Generally, those who are not so adept in mathmatics are much better in language. I agree, but there is even more nuance involved here. There is a difference between mastering your native language and learning a new language. This is a completely unscientific observation, but from my experience, those who are mechanically/mathematically oriented seem to pick up new languages more quickly and easily than types like me, who do better with social sciences and liberal arts. I think this might be because grammatical rules are similar to mathematics rules. You learn your own language intuitively, but your second language you have to learn the rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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