Thursday, December 3, 2015

THE "REAL" POLITICS OF MATHEMATICS

This article makes some excellent points. I remember the "new math" in grade school in 1959. We students did not like and rejected it http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/opinion/the-politics-of-math-education.html?emc=edit_ty_20151203&nl=opinion&nlid=62585939&referer&_r=0 WHEN MATHEMATICS IS DIVORCED FROM ITS NATAL WONDER, ITS AUTHENTIC BLACK HISTORY, WE BLUNDER. SINCE MATH DID NOT JUST MIRACULOUSLY APPEAR, BUT DATES BACK AT LEAST 44,000 YEARS-- TO MOTHER AFRICA'S NOTCHED "LEBOMBO BONE," AND "ISHANGO BONES" NOT FROM EARTH'S ENIGMATIC ATMOSPHERE. EARLY BLACK MEN AND WOMEN BROUGHT MATHEMATICS HERE, PERFECTING IT YEAR-TO-YEAR, SHARING WITH OTHERS FAR AND NEAR. SO IT WAS IMPLIED IN "PROMETHEUS BOUND" WHO CHAINED TO A MOUNTAIN, PROCLAIMED ETHIOPIA'S "IO" AS THE FOUNTAIN-- FROM WHENCE FLOWED, THE EMPYREAN WATERS OF WISDOM TERMED, THE "FIRE OF THE GODS", WHICH-- PLAYWRIGHT AESCHYLUS RECORDS THAT PROMETHEUS--TITAN'S SON-- "STOLE" FROM THE GODS AND GAVE TO THE GREEKS. FOR PENANCE HIS PROTAGONIST'S SENTENCE WAS TO HAVE HIS LIVER EATEN DAILY BY A BIRD AND GROW BACK FOREVER SOCRATES WAS MADE TO DRINK THE POISON OF HEMLOCK'S CUP, FOR BRINGING UP, TO GREEK'S YOUTH ANCIENT EGYPT'S "STRANGE IDEAS;" SOCRATES' STUDENT, PLATO, WRITING IN HIS BOOK, "THE LAWS" GIVES ALL WHO HAVE READ IT PAUSE, SAY MATH IS AFRICAN AND GREEKS ARE BABES; SAYING MATH GAMES WERE TAUGHT TO EGYPTIAN TOTS ON UP THROUGH LIFE, WHICH PERFECTED MASTERY, WHILE GREEKS STUMBLED BEING HUMBLED. MATHEMATICS ROBBED OF ITS HISTORY, IS ALSO ROBBED OF ITS MYSTERY, AND OF ITS MAGIC, MUCH LIKE EUCLID'S GEOMETRY "ELEMENTS". NOW, ISN'T THAT JUST TRAGIC! MATHEMATICS MUST LIVE AND BREATHE TO GROW, LIKE TREES, LIKE CROPS, LIKE MAN, WATERS, AND AIR; RIGHT NOW MATH IS DEAD. HAVING BEEN CHOKED TO CHECK THE RISE OF ITS CREATORS, SO MUCH NOW DESPISED--THE BLACKS--MATH'S PROCREATORS!