*face palm*

[jebbypal]

Yes, that's a very frequent subject lately.

My flist tends to think of me as math-gifted. However, I've frequently told them that I fail at basic math due to my brain thinking backwards. This also severely affects my ability to do physics.

Case in point: Over the past three years, I've tried to convert the amount of a specific reagent that I use from nanograms to the more conventional Unit style (because different batches can have different activities based on ng measurements). Invariably, I do the calculation a variety of ways and end up with fifty different answers.

You'd think I'd never grokked stoichiometry in chemistry class, but nay, that I excelled at. It's the damn basic math.

Today, I decided to tackle it again because I'm going to NEED it.

I nailed it on the first try and know it's right.

*face palm*

I tell you, sometimes the backwardness of my brain amazes even me.

Comments

[deathisyourart.livejournal.com]

Awww CONGRATULATIONS!!! You pass grade 3!

[jebbypal]

You have no idea how appropriate that statement is. When they taught me to add and subtract, they taught me using a number ruler in the first grade. In the second, they took the ruler away so we'd "memorize" or whatever the additions and subtractions. I refused pretty much -- figured out how to use a clock as a number ruler which worked till my mom caught me at it and took all the clocks down in the house. I was a very unhappy kid till we left that behind for multiplication in the third grade. *laughs at self*

[deathisyourart.livejournal.com]

What crack-whore school did you go to? 0_0

I was annoyed when my lab partner this year couldn't do multiplication in her head... you would drive me nuts!

[jebbypal]

LOL, I can multiply in my head, but for any large math problem I prefer to write it out simply because I'm so much more verbal oriented than visual. so yeah, double digit multiplication and I'd much prefer to have a sheet of paper.

[deathisyourart.livejournal.com]

For me it depends on what the double digits are - if you ask me what 63 times 77 is, then let me write it out, because though I can do it in my head, I'll feel more confident about the answer and can get it faster with a pencil and something to write on (paper, desk, hand, rock, lab partner's forehead, et cetera...). For the record: 4851 :P

The one that my lab partner couldn't answer was 15x11 ... REALLY not difficult at the University level! I know that you rarely see anything above the number 3 in Calculus with all those symbols standing in for actual numbers, but... COME ON!