Yes -- things are hard, now, because we don't have the right models. Multiplication is hard when you're working with Roman numerals. Is it a problem with multiplication, or our thinking?
What's funny is that we think it stops there. "Oh, we made made multiplication easy, and negatives, and decimals, but Calculus... well that needs to remain difficult forever and ever.".
Comments
"It’s a testament to our mental potential that today’s children are expected to understand ideas that once confounded ancient mathematicians."
Ex-fucking-actly. Math is hard. Compsci is hard. But if it remains hard, then we adults have failed to do our job.
Yes -- things are hard, now, because we don't have the right models. Multiplication is hard when you're working with Roman numerals. Is it a problem with multiplication, or our thinking?
What's funny is that we think it stops there. "Oh, we made made multiplication easy, and negatives, and decimals, but Calculus... well that needs to remain difficult forever and ever.".