There are tons of whoppers to choose from when looking at the greatest lies of the 20th century. "I am not a crook," and "all you need is love" are top contenders, but my personal favorite lie is, "well, you won't always have a calculator in your pocket."
Now that the pressure to learn math is fully off by way of smart phones and my degree, I'm actually more inclined to rehab the attenuated limb that is my knowledge of mathematics. As I get older, I marvel at the feats that mankind routinely accomplishes with our precise understanding of math, and I get a little envious. I spent almost a quarter of a century in school, and all I got was this stupid writing proficiency. In contrast, my math-literate friends get to shape the world through technology.
In the video linked above, Po-Shen Loh gives an alternative perspective on math and how to make the concept more accessible for students and elders alike. Taking the position that math is easier than history may sound strange, but Loh makes a compelling argument. After watching the video, all I thought was. "maybe anyone can be a math person." What if we were the calculator in our pockets all along?
