Is Al-gebra a Real Threat or Just a Clever Pun?

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses a humorous email that plays on the concept of algebra by framing it as a fictional threat, likening it to a terrorist organization. The humor is derived from puns and wordplay related to mathematical terminology.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants find the email amusing and express a desire to share it with others, particularly in educational contexts.
  • Others contribute additional humorous remarks, suggesting that the fictional "Al-Gebra" poses a comical threat through exaggerated mathematical scenarios.
  • A participant expresses concern about the implications of the joke, suggesting it could lead to unnecessary fears about mathematics.
  • There are calls for further creative contributions to the joke, indicating a desire to expand on the humor presented.
  • One participant humorously speculates about the political ramifications of the joke, referencing a potential misuse in a political campaign.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the humor of the email, with no significant disagreement noted. The discussion remains light-hearted and focused on the comedic aspects.

Contextual Notes

The humor relies on puns and wordplay, which may not resonate with all audiences. The discussion does not delve into deeper mathematical concepts or implications.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in mathematics humor, educators looking for light-hearted material to share with students, or those who enjoy puns and wordplay in discussions.

skywise
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Someone emailed this to me and I thought you all might get a hoot out of it..
Don't have a source for it though, sorry.. It was a forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


At New York Kennedy airport today, an individual later discovered to
be a public school teacher, was arrested trying to board a flight
while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a setsquare, a slide
rule and a calculator.

Attorney general John Ashcroft believes the man is a member of the
notorious al-gebra movement. He is being charged with carrying weapons
of math instruction.

"Al-gebra is a very fearsome cult, indeed", Ashcroft said. "They
desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off
on a tangent in a search of absolute value. They consist of quite
shadowy figures, with names like "x" and "y", and, although they are
frequently referred to as "unknowns", we know they really belong to a
common denominator and are part of the axis of medieval with
coordinates in every country.

As the great Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, "There are 3
sides to every triangle."

When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had
wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have
given us more fingers and toes. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
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Oh man...
That was classic, absolutely hilarious. I've got to show this to my algebra teacher.
 
Ah! The terrorist sect of Al-Gebra is here! Run for your lives! They will horribly destroy us by dividing us by zero and thus making our lives as we know it undefinable!
 
I have an old high school math teacher who would get a kick out of this.
 
I've read this before, posted on a board in the math department. Funny one :smile:
 
So now I'm going to have even more cause for nightmares! Thanks a lot!

cookiemonster
 
Let's see who can improve upon this, perhaps making more parallels.
 
Bush better not use this in his campaign to be re-elected because the exponents of these variables is very wide spread. I wonder if they will start tapping my phone because I've known how to simplify for years.