prof : how much 7 x 24 = ? student : it's 168. prof : prove it. student: 16 + 8 = 24 prof : and 7 x 27 + ? student : 189 prove 18+9 = 27 prof : and 21 x 7 = ? student : 147 prove 14 + 7 = 21 prof: and 18 x 7 = ? student : 126 prove 12 + 6 = 18 etc.. Q: Divide 14 sugar cubes into 3 cups of coffee so that each cup has an odd number of sugar cubes. A: 1,1,12 Riposte: 12 isn't odd! A: It's an odd number of cubes to put in a cup of coffee (groan) Philosophy is a game with objectives and no rules. Mathematics is a game with rules and no objectives. When in the company of scientific/mathematical minds, I like to lighten the atmosphere by observing that I sneeze always in Fibonacci's Sequence. "The only problem is," I conclude, "when I sneeze only once, I'm never certain whether I'm sneezing in the first or second of the sequence. Seen the week before finals on the chalkboard right after a Math 233 (Discrete Math) class at the University of Oregon: 59 + 34 + 2 + 37 + 97 = some number And here I thought math classes were hard.... psh!
Maths is like watching 'A nightmare on elm street' ... It even seems to spoil your dreams... Viciously and filled with gore. The integral sign reminds me of the grim reaper too...
