I’m Not a Math Genius, But…

I understand enough to know that the public is being hideously misled by most journalists and the media in general, resulting in much hysteria and misconceptions about reality. Sadly, the average person does not understand the underlying concepts of mathematics well enough to realize the damage done to our society by this iinnumeracy.

I love the TV show Numbers , and I’m hesitant to criticize any show that popularizes and glamorizes the study of mathematics, but sometimes it suffers a bit much from the Hollywood treatment. The main character is not only a pretty boy mathematical genius that makes most moderately intelligent people feel utterly inadequate, but the level of mathematics addressed in the show is so esoteric that it seems almost magical to most viewers.

However, the mathematics I speak of are nowhere near this level. I’m speaking of a very basic comprehension of principles of statistics and logic, especially as they apply to research and results. These are concepts taught in middle and high schools, not college courses. Let’s examine a few specifics.

In a recent issue of the nationally-distributed Parade magazine, there were several stories that serve as perfect examples. The lead story screamed “You Can Survive! 9 Ways To Stay Alive When The Worst Happens.” One of them stood out, since it applies to nearly everyone: “Walk Away From a Car Accident.” As a passenger, it turns out the safest place to be is sitting on the hump in the rear seat. What is not mentioned at all is that it’s pretty rare for someone to sit in that position without someone else on both sides of them. Of course, having a meat buffer between you and the sides of the car will add to your safety! Should we recruit people on the street to fill those spaces?

A sidebar in the same article mentioned that Academy Award winners, and in general those with higher social status, live longer. Ditto for Nobel Laureates. Gee, isn’t that surprising? Even if you ignore the positive correlations between prize-winners and financial success and access to better medical care and health advice, there’s a simple explanation: Those who are genetically winners are so in part because their bodies are better able to withstand the long hours and hard work necessary to reach the pinnacles of achievement. No doubt there are plenty of other factors involved, but taking fewer sick days is obviously more productive.

Another article, “How Healthy Is Your State?,” at least immediately lets people know that the geography has essentially nothing to do with health; rather the clustering of people who make decisions, smart or not, makes the difference – so moving from a low-ranked state to a high-ranked state isn’t going to make you healthy.

“What Your Pet Can Teach You” is a compilation of homespun wisdom – or what passes for it. “Live in the moment?” Yeah, that’s why our country is in a financial disaster, because no one actually thought about the possibility that housing prices could go down. “Trust Your Instincts?” Gee, how many of Bernie Madoff’s victims did that? “Celebrate every day?” The author claims dogs do, and dogs might do that, because they have pretty good lives compared to ours – or at least, they do if they are pampered family pets. Somehow I don’t think starving dogs with abusive owners are celebrating, or those suffering from debilitating diseases. For a “dog whisperer” who can supposedly tell what animals are thinking, he apparently only talks to rich people’s dogs.

“Fit kids get better grades.” Um, maybe, maybe not. First of all, nothing against being fit, but studying isn’t the most physical activity in the world, and too often those who focus on fitness do so at the expense of their studies. Secondly, there’s long been evidence that more attractive kids tend to get better grades, perhaps because the teachers give them more attention, perhaps because more attractive kids tend to be those who are healthier – see above.