Billions of Pounds in Lost Mathematicians

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7431840.stm

The article states the obvious, but now maybe things will start to change if people believe it's effecting the economy.

From the article:
"This has led to mathematics at university being compromised and able-students being neglected, and has cost the economy billions of pounds in lost mathematicians."

"In today's Britain it is acceptable to say that you can't do maths, whereas people would be ashamed to admit they couldn't read."

Not that anything is ever going to change in the UK, or here in the US.
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org

Discussion

Eloi and morlocks?

Our level of technological development is dependent upon people with at least a solid grasp of mathematics. Almost anyone can use the trappings of technology, but it takes more to understand how they work and contribute to sustaining or advancing our capabilities.

(P.S. this is probably getting moved...)
 
Billions of Pounds in Lost Mathematicians

Funny stuff. I wonder what that is even supposed to mean? Of course, actually measuring how much would be lost would be demanding, and I doubt anyone really tried. If anyone has evidence otherwise I'd be interested in reading it.
 
Actually, I realize now that while the monetary value would be hard to measure, the weight might not be. Just see how the proportion of mathematicians has changed and multiply by the number of people and the average weight in pounds per person of a Brit.

:rolleyes:
 
Speaking of funding for science and mathematics, there was a telling chart created by Sean Carroll that he posted in his blog recently. It compares the annual funding for the physical sciences awarded to major funding organizations with the money that was lost (i.e., remains unaccounted for) in Iraq.

http://cosmicvariance.com/wp-content/uploads/rd-vs-lost.jpg
 
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Locrian said:
actually measuring how much would be lost would be demanding,
Especially if you are short of mathematicians!
 
mgb_phys said:
Especially if you are short of mathematicians!

:smile:
 
I didn't realize mathematicians weighed so much! :rolleyes:
 
Moonbear said:
I didn't realize mathematicians weighed so much! :rolleyes:

It could be just a lot of lost mathematicians. :smile:

You would think at least one could find their way home, but maybe they are all tied up in knots.

Oddly, If the s implies at least 2 and the standard 180lb airline passenger weight is used then
11111111.111111111111111111111111
I think that's a repeating decimal, but too lazy to check.
Fitting somehow :cool: