Maths, was Time-line inconsistency from Quidditch

[joym999 at aol.com]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Sam Brown" <find_sam at h...> wrote:
> Are *any* writers good at maths? Is anyone? Maths... *shudders* I 
> still have a copy of the maths paper I did for my final exams at 
> school last year. How I managed to get *any* correct is beyond me. 
It 
> was my worst subject; I'm just not a numbers sort of guy. I knew 
how 
> to do calculus (sp?) and algebra, but I could never get my head 
> around the concepts... I both envy and despise all you mathematical 
> prodigies out there :)
> 
> BTW, Joywitch, are you American? I ask because I've noticed that 
> Americans use the word 'math' as an abbreviation for 'mathematics', 
> while Australians use 'maths', with an 's'. I wonder why that is?

I dont know if any writers are good at math, but lots of people are 
good at it, including myself.  Lots more people, however, are not 
good at math and dont like it.  People usually look at me like I am 
nuts (which I am, but thats beside the point) when I tell them that 
my all time favorite college classes were my calculus classes and 
that I like to do calculus problems just for fun.  Whenever I have a 
friend taking calculus I always tell them to send me any really hard 
problems they get.

I think it is a genetic thing, though.  I didnt do anything to 
deserve my ability to easily understand mathematical concepts, just 
like I didnt do anything to deserve my inability to play any sort of 
sports -- I was just born with one set of skills and without the 
other.  However, I do think that most people, especially women, have 
far more mathematical ability than they give themselves credit for.  
Math, at least in the U.S., is very poorly taught, and many people 
who teach elementary school have very little math ability and so do 
not communicate those skills to the children they teach.

And yes, I am an American, and I have also noticed that Americans say 
math whereas people from the UK and Australia say maths.  I have no 
idea why, but it is pretty strange.

So, all you college students out there, let me know if you need help 
with your calculus homework.

--Joywitch, who has now CONVINCED all the HP4GUers that she is a 
complete nutcase