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[–] Lurker22 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

dam bro that's deep. I'd love to hear your speech on that! I thought only 75% of statistics are made up or something? hehehe

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[–] TheBuddha 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

0.3 doesn't actually equal 1/3. We pretend it does, much for the same reason that 0.999... = 1.

Shit breaks if we don't.

Yet, every time I mention I'm a mathematician, I have to worry about people insisting it is some great truth and universal. It's not. It's just a language and a philosophy. It's an expressive, beautiful, and wonderful language but it doesn't necessarily tell the truth. I can lie with math just as easily as I could lie with English. Depending on your knowledge, you may not even be able to spot the deception.

I never dealt with absolutes. I dealt with approximations and good enough. I dealt with models that predicted reality on a 'close enough' scale. It's not certainties and we've somehow convinced people to believe its the apex of understanding. It's hubris!

They are absolutely not going to let me talk. I'm a heretic. Those crazy bastards will tell you to your face that an infinite repeating number of nines equals one. That's absurd. But it does, and I can prove it with math.

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[–] Lurker22 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Loved reading this. Just got myself a job, to come back to this gem. That last part though "Those crazy bastards will tell you to your face taht an infinite repeating number of nines equals one. That's absurd. But it does, and I can prove it with math." hahahah. Dealing with approximations and good enough... on point. I wish I'd/will learn so much as yourself