superdivisor Posted April 8, 2016 Posted April 8, 2016 Carrock, that one was great. Hits the nail right on the head! Math can solve and illustrate a lot but it's still on us to interprete and sort of translate the ratios, units, variables and whatever else it presents us and set them in the right context. That's why i love your example so much. The thermometer tells us its 14 degrees, which tells us nothing if we dont know anything about average temperatures, preferences, utilities,...
superdivisor Posted April 11, 2016 Posted April 11, 2016 One thing i forgot: One more point is that math often just approximates stuff, but not exactely gives us precise results. Yes, most things follow a strict order and system and every variable has its defined function but - especially in higher maths - we are often only working with estimates, approaches and convergencies than perfectly defined dimensions. -1
studiot Posted April 11, 2016 Posted April 11, 2016 The thermometer tells us its 14 degrees, which tells us nothing If that was my thermometer it would actually tell me it has been stuck since last summer (??) !
blue89 Posted May 7, 2016 Posted May 7, 2016 (edited) This is a question that doesn't have a solid question... Now we use math in everything we do... even on my laptop that I am using for this thread uses mathematics to solve and put in every single pixel on screen... We count words and letters in our language books and count the thousand habitable planets in our solar system. We draw graphs and charts for buisness and the economy needs to know how much they have of anything. But first the big picture. To define everything is like to define 'god'. It is impossble, because we all have a different oppinion or definiton of that. Science has something to do with math. We can't count the amount of atoms that exist in and on the earth, without math. W e use math all the time but what can math NOT solve? IAstroViz "that doesn't have a solid answer" Sorry about that... I confidently think mathematics is not as respective as some parts os sciences now,especially in comparison medicine and software computer engineering. but wait please , I have some projects , I think I am clever and in my opiniom if this project is implemented succesfully and ather ones like this, I think it will be possible the mathematics to be the most important and respective part of science. let ,look at my thread I have sent my project to harvard university (gsas) http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/94898-waves/#entry919359 and I am functional analysist. Edited May 7, 2016 by blue89
Sriman Dutta Posted August 30, 2016 Posted August 30, 2016 Can any math equation find the real and actual face of the coin that will show up in a toss? It is a game of probability, the probability of either face being 1/2. But, is there any accurate prediction?
DrP Posted August 31, 2016 Posted August 31, 2016 A coin toss is 50/50.... but we never know all of the inputs - if we knew how high the coin was being tossed from, how hard it was flipped, the hardness of the surface it strikes on landing and the angle it lands at etc. we would be able to predict heads or tails. We never know all of the inputs, which is why we can't predict it. Maths is not failing here - if we knew the input then we could calculate the answer exactly and every time..
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