-
ubervu
-
Apple iPhone
-
Nexus One
+ Add
Survey Shows Parents Would Rather Talk Drugs Than Science or Math
Updated 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Source: http://www.wired.com/
Better than drugs. Math books. (image: pentrust.org)
There is a point in every family when it’s time for the talk. No, not that talk. Not that one either. I’m talking about the science and math talk. The kind of talk that should happen every time your child is having trouble or even just working on their homework. Though most parents, having been through primary school themselves at some point, have a difficult time with this talk. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted ...
- 406 comments on this story
Showing 172 relevant reactions out of 230.
njurkovi 2 months, 3 weeks ago on Wordpress
This is interesting. I noticed that the majority of orders that we receive at http://www.softmath.com for our flagship product Algebrator comes from parents (at least, they are the ones contacting tech support) - it never occurred to me that that might have actually ordered the product to brush up on algebra themselves. Time to fix the marketing campaign
If any math-challenged parents are
...
See all content
Reply
stinkeydiver 3 months ago on Wordpress
This may be of interest, a Carl Sagan essay on the use of pot
http://www.marijuana-uses.com/essays/002.html
Reply
CardioCareStore 3 months ago on Digg
Very interesting article. I think it makes sense that parents would rather discuss drugs rather than help out with homework. I remember reading an article stating that most people forget 90% of what they learn in school within 3-4 weeks. I did great in Statistics in college but I wouldn't have a clue how to solve a problem now. I think that parents don't want to help with school because they either ... See all content
Reply
Parents More Comfortable Talking Sex Than Science | The Laughing Stork with Candy Kirby | Parenting, Family, Pop Culture & Gravity-Defying Baby Poop 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
[...] of the subjects. “Even I have trouble helping with math and science sometimes,” he writes. “Not because I’m not knowledgeable, but because it’s hard to transfer my knowledge to that of [...]
Reply
LSUstudents 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
If for no reason other than being able to talk intelligently to your kids, at least learn science & math... http://bit.ly/4vOMPN
Reply
afewbravemen 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
The question is how do you generate the following sequence of numbers
1,6,13,78,104,789
and is there a next number in the sequence? Now your child might get the first part but knowing this does not mean they will get the last part. The parent probably will not get the first part but will assume there is a pattern and look for it.
They get bigger and there is a next number
...
See all content
Reply
Les parents préfèrent parler drogues que maths à leurs enfants | MONDIALNEWS | Actualites et communiques de presse relayes par Google Search, google recherches, google blog et Google Actualites 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
[...] et 18 ans) admettent ressentir de «l’inconfort» à aborder les questions sur les sciences. Les parents sont beaucoup plus à l’aise pour parler de drogue que pour parler de maths ou de …. Bien qu’ils reconnaissent l’importance de ces matières pour l’éducation de [...]
Reply
Math’s Too Hard for a Parent’s Help - Motherlode Blog - NYTimes.com 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
[...] of the subjects. “Even I have trouble helping with math and science sometimes,” he writes. “Not because I’m not knowledgeable, but because it’s hard to transfer my knowledge to that of [...]
Reply
ericscherer 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
Obvious for me ! Drugs An Easier Topic for Parents Than Math http://tinyurl.com/yl68zrj
Reply
bob_hu 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
@Copperton3
I think you miss my point. Life is as technical as you make it–I agree with that. It is also as artistic as you make it. However, that there are all those people who learned (or merely struggled through) high school calculus and who never really even use algebra in their later lives would seems to suggest that we are overteaching and not underteaching the subject. As a tech
...
See all content
Reply
TrueSecrets 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
I never asked my parents for hw help, not after 2nd grade. But in high school chem I was desperate for an answer one night and brought it too them. There baffled looks and incredibly odd/off answers insured I never brought them hw again. But they tried, which counts for a lot, I think.
Reply
gabrie11e 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
By simply exposing a child to science, parents can achieve a lot. All is not lost if a parent lacks the ability/knowledge to explain concepts. You might no be able to teach, but it doesn’t mean you can’t facilitate learning.
My mom was not well educated and, although she could not be of assistance in helping with homework, she did an absolutely tremendous job with feeding my curiosity
...
See all content
Reply
SpeedSteamBoat 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Seems like a false dichotomy to me.
Why can't we be teaching art alongside practical matters? Let's face it, for most people, practical education is boring or at least presented in a boring way.
Thinking back, I might have seriously dropped out of school if not for my literature and art classes. They were the only things that made enduring an hour of calculus a day worthwhile.
Reply
spartacvs33 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
because poor math and verbal skills are often signs of heavy drug use...
Reply
eliatic 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
As time goes by, if you don’t use it, your knowledge of math fades. (I studied calculus for years; without a use for it, I’ve forgotten most of it.) Parents are probably reluctant to reveal what they don’t know. If secondary math teachers thought more about that, they’d find ways to get their point across while choosing applications that allow people to retain their memories ... See all content
Reply
Taiyoryu 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Regarding drugs: Ingest what you want. Understand the consequences of what you ingest. Don't abuse your body. Don't let your actions affect others without their consent. Not enough people follow those last three rules.
As for math and science, go back to the fundamentals if you're struggling. If you don't get the basic concepts, sadly it makes learning the higher level stuff much harder. For
...
See all content
Reply
designerutah 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Funny you should mention it, but I've never done drugs except for the odd ibuprofen, caffeine, or the one prescribed for post surgery pain... and thre 80 percent of that away as it wasn't necessary and made my head too fuzzy. There's probably far more people who've never done illegal drugs or abused legal drugs than you imagine...
Reply
slave138 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
The main problem I seem to run into is the change in methods since I was in school. The results may not have changed but the way they get there has and I do more to confuse my son when ‘helping’ with math than anything else. The other problem I have comes from learning how to do basic math (and reading) at an age I cannot remember clearly (around 2). It’s hard to teach something when ... See all content
Reply
Stephanie Taylor 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
important survey about parental fear of math and science: http://bit.ly/1cbd9n how can we help parents study up?
Reply
stephaneat 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
important survey about parental fear of math and science: http://bit.ly/1cbd9n how can we help parents study up?
Reply
BrewBeau 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
I would think it would be the other way around. With math and science there is usually an answer. But what happens when your kid is old enough to ask why it's ok for you to have a couple drinks out at dinner and still be able to drive home? Or how is it that there are successful people who use drugs responsibly even though they(the kids) aren't supposed to? Teaching kids how to create their own values ... See all content
Reply
BrewBeau 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
That's a little simplistic, don't you think? There might not be any interest for someone to learn the first two without seeing the work of the last one. Inspiration to become, say, and architect probably comes from seeing great architecture and what can be accomplished with the proper knowledge. Arts and "practical stuff" should never be separated completely.
Reply
copypastry 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
I think there's one thing we can all agree on here.
We need to try our hardest to keep kids away from integrals and derivatives.
Reply
Marketplace 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
So the *talk parents dread most these days...it's not sex or drugs. But math. http://bit.ly/1cbd9n
Reply
MktplaceRadio 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
So the *talk parents dread most these days...it's not sex or drugs. But math. http://bit.ly/1cbd9n
Reply
brickwall99 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
So they talk to their kids about drugs and cram religion down their throat instead of reinforcing their math and science education.
Now I know why our country has gone to shit.
Reply
OPR8R 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
"Don't do drugs" is a moral thing. Most parents, in the US anyway, have no trouble teaching their kids such things.
A lot of people in the US have an aversion to math/science because subconsiously they realize there is a conflict with their previously held beliefs. Thusly, there is a complete misunderstanding of the importance of math/science (in the US).
Digg me down if
...
See all content
Reply
SchnellFowVay 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
The statistics are valid and fairly frightening.
But the subjective response by parents that "the information is not readily available to them" is complete horse shit. ARE YOU KIDDING? Here are two simple ways to find "readily available information to help your child with math/science:"
1) READ THE DAMN KID'S TEXTBOOK. IT IS SCIENCE BOILED-DOWN FOR 12 YEAR OLDS
...
See all content
Reply
mintedmeadow 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Many school textbooks are actually very poorly written. In one of my math classes in college, I stopped using the textbook entirely, and used other resources instead, because the concepts in the textbook were so poorly explained.
Math is like building blocks. To understand higher levels, you have to have a good understanding of the lower levels as well. Someone can Google how to figure out
...
See all content
Reply
PowderedToasty 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Stupid. If you haven't used your high school math in the 20 years since you graduated you aren't going to remember it. On the other hand, the saying "don't use drugs" is quite easy to remember.
Reply
reetta 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
Niin et onks tää hyvä vai huono asia?: Parents Would Rather Talk Drugs Than Science or Math - http://shar.es/aJuwC
Reply
noumuon 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
for what it's worth, chances are the subject matter of the science your parents learned in high school is a far stretch from what students learn today. i'm fairly certain in my parents' biology courses, genetics were not emphasized. the subject matter of the math taught in high school, however, hasn't changed in up to thousands of years.
Reply
noumuon 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
perhaps my wording is misleading in some manner. by "hasn't changed in up to thousands of years," i mean that there are mathematics that were developed up to thousands of years ago. it's not like any high schoolers are studying symplectic geometry or something.
Reply
jd75 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
i never thought of it this way, but yeah! my mom was more than happy to lecture us about birth control pills. but as of 7th grade algebra, i was on my own with my math homework. she couldn't have helped me. it's not that they're choosing not to help. it's that they can't, because their schools didn't require them to learn much math or science.
Reply
SharonMcEachern 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
Hey, parents don’t have to worry — math is getting easier and easier according to new research this year. All you have to do is either chew gum and/or drink chocolate milk and you’ll get smarter in math. Much ballyhoo’d in the media, this scientific research shows kids increasing their math scores (and adults in England) because of what they put in their mouth.
This
...
See all content
Reply
PatiPAndrade 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
RT @RNPI Pais se sentem mais confortáveis ao falar sobre drogas com os filhos do que sobre Matemática ou Ciências:http://tinyurl.com/ykplprd
Reply
mintedmeadow 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
This isn't all that surprising. Much of what's taught in school is typically useless for most, and will not be used outside of school. I've worked as an accountant, and I can't ever remember needing to use math any more complicated than what I learned in maybe elementary or middle school. Sure, I enjoy math and science, but .. for the average person, you don't need to know much more than the basics ... See all content
Reply
netant 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
1) maps.google.com "brunei"
2) wikipedia.com "the scream"
3) google.com "Jomon" "yayoi" periods
Who needs an education in liberal arts? ;)
You can google/wikipedia math topics, but I have yet to see a page which readily supplants competent instruction. I don't have a problem with the idea of learning "useless" advanced
...
See all content
Reply
SpeedSteamBoat 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
There's a little bit more to the arts than all of that. Frankly, most people struggle with the very concept of art to begin with. They just don't get it, and it's a real shame.
I mean, my god, how you HEARD popular music these days? Dreadful.
Reply
Kyann Zorain 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
I think I know why some partents are reluctant to talk about math/science becuase they struggle with it themselves - http://shar.es/aJaVM
Reply
SpeedSteamBoat 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Yeah, I credit my parents for my curiosity. When I was a kid, we would always go to museums and things full of interesting things to do and learn. I think they really enjoyed watching my sister and I wonder at the nature of things.
Granted, I was a terrible student in middle and high school, but I never lost that sense of wonder I had looking at giant steam engines and moving models of the
...
See all content
Reply
rhythmchanges 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
You get that you are (sadly) in the vast minority, right?
Reply
DrummerAndrew 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Do your parents help you with your homework? No? Because they're stupid. Study now so you can help your kids later.
Reply
judiwhite 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
Drugs An Easier Topic for Parents Than Math or Science: Survey http://tinyurl.com/yl68zrj ........How sad is this?
Reply
AngryDeuce 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Kids have just as high a propensity for abusing legal drugs as illegal ones. My youngest brother was caught taking his Ritalin 3 and 4 at a time when he was like 14.
Reply
regards 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
Drugs An Easier Topic for Parents Than Math or Science: Survey: There's a point in every family when it’s time .. http://bit.ly/1fqimV
Reply
DrowSwordsman 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
That's because there are tons of parent foundations that focus on teaching kids about drugs, meaning telling kids how bad they are. Why aren't there more parent foundations emphasizing teaching your children about the sciences and math? Parents just figure the school will take care of that. Maybe if parents taught their kids to love science and math, more kids would be interested in studying a career ... See all content
Reply
=== popurls.com === popular today 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
=== popurls.com === popular today…
yeah! this story has entered the popular today section on popurls.com…
Reply
blindhammer 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Parents could combine the two. Educate your children on the science behind meth production.
Reply
MidnightReign 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Err, 28.3 ... too bad my parents never talked to me about math.
Reply
MidnightReign 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
If an ounce weighs 29.3 grams and a sandwich baggie weighs 1.1 grams, how much should 1/8th of an ounce weigh if you don't want Rocco to bruise your kidneys?
Reply
AngryDeuce 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
How many people out there can say they honestly know NOBODY that's ever done drugs, legal or illegal?
I bet damn near zero...
Reply
PhoenixSmasher 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
I WOULD RATHER SUFFER THE END OF ROMULUS A THOUSAND TIMES. I WOULD RATHER DIE IN AGONY.
Reply
PhoenixSmasher 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Its funny when you say it out loud. Plus it had "Would rather" in the topic.
Reply
rhythmchanges 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Because parents are one of the main factors in the development of their children and if they are not helping at home, it'd be great to diagnose and repair some of what is broken.
Reply
didntlisten 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
It's true, even though my dad works in financing, back when I was in high school he always preferred a good "don't do crack' speech to helping me with calculus...I don't think this is too surprising.
Reply
FamilyGuy 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
That's probably just because they are easier to talk about, period. If they haven't experienced drugs, they more than likely know someone who has. They know all of the negative affects of the most common kinds of drugs. When it comes to things like Math and Science, unless the parents' careers involve that kind of info, it's probably something they forgot a lot about, lost in the abyss with all the ... See all content
Reply
MidnightReign 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
You just keep my kid away from those damn mathamphetamines, m'kay. Don't need yer highfalutin' science when God says there ain't no damn dinosaurs in heaven, you understand?
Reply
xbeeno 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
Well yeah of course cause Science and math are BORING!
Jess
http://www.complete-privacy.at.tc
Reply
MidnightReign 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Which reveals the hypocrisy of the modern American mindset. "You could be a full-blooded retard, but as long as you're not smoking that hippie grass, you're alright. I don't care if you're a damn Nobel prize winner, if you smoke the grass, you're a useless piece of shit."
If it weren't for the idiots, half my day would be spent trying to find someone to laugh at.
Reply
AngryDeuce 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Because drugs are universal. Everybody's done drugs at some point. I know quite a few people who's parents barely made it through Algebra or Physical Science (The generic science).
Reply
Snoogs 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Ok Billy, here's all you need to know... 1/8 of an ounce is the same as 3.5 grams. This should cost you between $50 and $60. Now, business often works with quantity discounts.. if you want to buy a half ounce (or 14 grams) you can expect to pay $200 rather than $240. This is called an incentive to purchase more product. If you choose to sell your half ounce, this $40 can be considered profit, depending ... See all content
Reply
PowderedToasty 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Oh snap, I was thinking the same as esteskid. Thanks for the edumacation!
Reply
DrummerAndrew 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Never mentions which 'drug' he's talking about. Marijuana should not be part of the drugs speech. Unless you want to include caffeine and ibuprofen, too.
Reply
SpeedSteamBoat 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
In terms of danger and physical harm, yes, but I've never taken enough ibuprofen or drank enough caffeine to where Jimmy Hendrix just started playing in my head just as loud as can be. If you know how to make that happen, you let me know.
Reply
MidnightReign 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Glad I live in the sticks. It's cheaper out in the middle of nowhere.
Reply
republicker 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Parents don't do shit anymore, they turn on the TV and let that teach their kids.
Reply
BrownieMix 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
The only time my mom ever talked to me about drugs was after I had done them. "I thought the schools taught you better than that," was her response.
Reply
eryximachus 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
And this is why kids do drugs. Parents simply ignore their children and tell them what they shouldn't do, and teachers simply direct them in what to "learn". Kids don't see any value to learning this stuff, and instead simply decide to do drugs to dull the pain of their seemingly pointless existence.
Reply
MidnightReign 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
"Son,
Apply the philosophy of science to your life as much as is possible. At a minimum, learn enough math to handle algebra. Don't drink more than it takes to feel good and don't smoke more than one cigarette on any given day. If you take up smoking cannabis, try not to do it all the time. If you have sex, wear a rubber. Don't do any of the above while operating heavy machinery, especially
...
See all content
Reply
BrewBeau 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
@snoogs
The problem with your theory is that most factory jobs don't have people building something from start to finish. They are most likely building a widget (probably thousands of them) that will be one part of a hundred in some other product that gets assembled somewhere else. So, it's not so rosy there either. At least a cubicle is probably kept at a comfortable temperature and you can
...
See all content
Reply
Snoogs 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Whoa, internet-toughguy... A 9-5 in a cube IS fucking pointless and depressing... While I'm sure a foundry job is miserable, at least you have a tangible product or something at the end of the day to see. I bet you'd get a good workout in too...
Grass is always greener, and today, I hate sitting at a fkn computer.
Reply
bdbr 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Not just experience, but *recent* experience. I could have helped my daughter with integral calculus 25 years ago, but I never use it so I don't remember any of it. This is why parents said they "wish there were a one-stop shop with materials to refresh their existing, but unused math and science knowledge".
Reply
samard2002 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Drugs are Chemistry and/or Botany.
Sex Education is just super hot Mathematics.
Reply
digitalArtform 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
Without chemistry, life itself would be impossible
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=% ...
Reply
not_me 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
@kendraro: How about if you just ask your son exactly where he is in his text book at any point in time, and maybe look at his homework assignments? I always said I wasn’t learning anything when asked, as I’m sure many (most?) kids do, but that was just easier than trying to come up with a decently concise explanation to what sounds like a throwaway question. Be specific and you might get ... See all content
Reply
psionic81 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
I think that this “problem” goes way beyond teaching kids.. how about the adults themselves? A comprehensive understanding of the material & energy flows (sand->glass, raw ore->refinery->…->stainless steel) of the world around us would have an incredible benefit of allowing everyone to understand what their consumer grade goods are being made from, and how, and what ... See all content
Reply
kendraro 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
I think a great solution to this problem would be for the textbooks to come with DVDs accompanying each chapter that could be sent home weekly or however. My biggest problem is just finding out what’s going on from my son - who insists he’s never learning anything. A short video presentation of what your child is studying would also give you a refresher (helpful for some of us who didn’t ... See all content
Reply
savvydaddy 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
have a hard time talking to ur teen about sex? don't even try helping them w/ math/sci http://ow.ly/xn5c
Reply
RNPI 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
Pais se sentem mais confortáveis ao falar sobre drogas com os filhos do que sobre Matemática ou Ciências: http://tinyurl.com/ykplprd
Reply
thatsmyaibo 3 months, 1 week ago on Digg
I don't know about you guys but all my friends that did drugs in high school also did poorly in all their classes. I have a college degree and a high paying marketing job 8 years later and most the them are still planning to going to electrician school.
I don't mind drug use and am for legalization but there is a difference between the people who use it in moderation and the ones that were
...
See all content
Reply
Denny Royal 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
Or another title, "Why America is Dumb" : http://bit.ly/1cbd9n
Reply
Denny_Royal 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
Or another title, "Why America is Dumb" : http://bit.ly/1cbd9n
Reply
daren_gray 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
And no, watching MythBusters doesn’t count.
.
Most American parents think you teach science by turning on the Discovery Channel. You teach history by turning on the History Channel. You teach math by turning on the Xbox 360. It’s like sprinkling three flax seeds on a doughnut and calling it health food.
Reply
daren_gray 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
The problem is that parents do not and did not seek knowledge in math and science. Most American adults know sports, movies, and video games. That’s it. If parents don’t make a commitment to serious understanding of math and science (and no, I don’t mean introducing your kids to Star Trek: The Original Series), how can they expect their children to do the same? If, as a parent, you ... See all content
Reply
leash 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
written by an (admitted) nerd, but interesting article http://bit.ly/31Jilv perhaps revealing an untapped market?
Reply
leashbrown 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
written by an (admitted) nerd, but interesting article http://bit.ly/31Jilv perhaps revealing an untapped market?
Reply
kal7z 3 months, 1 week ago on Wordpress
@ bob_hu:
You bring up an interesting point, how often to people use calculus in their daily lives? However I will argue that experience in the engineering fields has shown me that often enough people stop using higher level math after life in academia not because it isn’t useful, but because they never really understood it in the first place. For example, instead of rigorously deriving
...
See all content
Reply
eklopfer 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
Glad I had the math/science chat with my kids at a young age. Just say Yes. http://bit.ly/yCown
Reply
BLOODHOUND_SSC 3 months, 1 week ago on Twitter
Interesting survey. Let's seek to change this! http://bit.ly/1cbd9n
Reply
Follow us
Twitter Facebook-
DASHBOARD
PRO
-
MY KEYWORDS
PRO
-
TOOLS & WIDGETS