Forums
Welcome to Live View – Take the tour to learn more
Start Tour
There is currently 1 person viewing this thread.
SlippyBlue
11 Dec 14 17:44
Joined:
Date Joined: 11 Jun 12
| Topic/replies: 38,681 | Blogger: SlippyBlue's blog
This simple maths question was posed to the Education Secretary Nicky Morgan by 10 year old Leon Remphry live on air and she couldn't/wouldn't answer the question.

My money is on that she didn't know the answer. You just couldn't make it up. if you tried.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/education-minister-nicky-morgan-refuses-to-answer-maths-question-asked-by-boy-10-9917498.html
Pause Switch to Standard View What is the cubed root of 125?
Show More
Loading...
Report PatraTheCat December 11, 2014 5:46 PM GMT
I thought you were actually asking, Slippy! I was getting ready to reprimand you.
Report MisterBadger December 11, 2014 5:51 PM GMT
good player in his day

http://tiny.cc/67spqx
Report SlippyBlue December 11, 2014 5:55 PM GMT
Laugh I got an A in 'O' level maths and a B at'A' Level I'll have you know. Part of a misspent youth going to races meant your arithmetic was very good at an early age Wink. It's quite fun watching her squirm though as I honestly believe that she couldn't work it out.
Report SlippyBlue December 11, 2014 5:57 PM GMT
Never heard of him Mr.B. Are you a Hammer then?
Report screaming from beneaththewaves December 11, 2014 6:11 PM GMT
How to calculate a cube root: http://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-Cube-Root-by-Hand

Write down the number of which you want to calculate the cube root, separating the digits into groups of three, starting at the decimal point, from both directions. Draw a cube radical sign over the number, and put a decimal point over the radical directly above the decimal point in the number. For example, let us calculate the cube root of 10, so we separate it as 10. 000 000.

Start with the leftmost group of number(s), and find the biggest integer whose cube is less than or equal to it. Write the integer above the radical, and its cube under the first group. Draw a line under that cube, and subtract it from the first group. In our example, 2^3=8
Report Navel-Gazer December 11, 2014 6:11 PM GMT
That other question the kid asked about the cube root of 1728 minus 11 was nowhere near as difficult as it seemed - the answer's 1 (12-11...which coincidentally were Shergar's form figures before he won The Derby) Crazy

I recognised that 1728 straight away as it's the lowest number that's the sum of two different pairs of cubed numbers:
10 cubed + 9 cubed = 12 cubed + 1 cubed, and yes, I know I'm a boring fcuk! Grin

PS - I swear these politicians are getting dumber by the year...it's frightening to think that these mega-privileged imbeciles are running the country and alas, the evidence is there for all to see Cry
Report screaming from beneaththewaves December 11, 2014 6:12 PM GMT
Bring down the next group of numbers into the remainder, and draw a vertical line to the left of the resulting number. To the left of the vertical line, write three hundred times the square of the number above the radical, a plus sign, thirty times the number above the radical, a multiplication sign, an underscore character, another plus sign, another underscore character, the exponent 2, an equals sign, and some blank space for the answer. For our example, bring down the three 0's. 300 times square of 2 is 1200, 30 times 2 is 60, so write "1200+60*_+_^2=(blank space)" to the left of the vertical line.

Find the biggest integer N that would fit into both underscore places, and give a number in the blank space such that integer N times the number is less than the current remainder. Put the integer N above the radical and into both underscore places, calculate the number to the right of the equal sign, multiply this number by N, write the product under the current remainder, draw a line under that, and subtract to obtain the new remainder. For our example, the integer is 1, 1200+60*1+1^2=1261, and 1*1261=1261, which subtracted from 2000 is 739. If the current answer above the radical has the desired accuracy, stop. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.

Repeat the previous two steps to find the next digit in the cube root.

The result above the radical is the cube root, accurate to three significant figures. In our example, the cube root of 10 is 2.15. Verify that by calculating 2.15^3=9.94, which approximates 10. If you need greater accuracy, simply continue the process.
Report History Maker December 11, 2014 6:13 PM GMT
I don't think it matters one jot that she didn't know that off the cuff. It's not really relevant to the vast majority of people's daily lives. You have to backward engineer it, which is tricky for a lot of people. If she couldn't get 5^3, that'd be a worry.

Far more important are basic arithmetic, percentages, fractions, probability and, this pertains to the bricklayers on £50k thread, geometry.
Report Just Checking December 11, 2014 6:16 PM GMT
"This simple maths question"
Sounds more of an arithmetic question than maths :P
Report Burton-Brewers December 11, 2014 6:20 PM GMT
yes but could anyone do a lobster back development from scratch?
Report MisterBadger December 11, 2014 6:24 PM GMT
Never heard of him Mr.B. Are you a Hammer then?

Through and through slippy, and I must confess to being somewhat in a state of shock this season  Shocked
Report Navel-Gazer December 11, 2014 6:24 PM GMT
PS - 1729 is that lowest number I was on about...1728 is 12 cubed Blush
Report BonnieDday December 11, 2014 7:04 PM GMT
History Maker 11 Dec at 18:13 .... "you have to backward engineer it" .... wins 1st prize in today's Jargon Stakes.
Report SlippyBlue December 11, 2014 9:07 PM GMT
"I don't think it matters one jot that she didn't know that off the cuff. It's not really relevant to the vast majority of people's daily lives. You have to backward engineer it, which is tricky for a lot of people."

Well History Maker, fair enough that it's not hugely relevant in the greater scheme of things that she couldn't work the question out thinking on her feet but lets be honest here, it really is a very basic arithmetic question. You have to concede that much and bearing in mind she went to Oxford University makes it even more flabbergasting, for me.
Report Barry Conway December 11, 2014 9:25 PM GMT
Can you settle a Dundee shuffle though? Without an OTT?
Report SlippyBlue December 11, 2014 9:40 PM GMT
Erm, no Barry not a chance in my head but with pen and paper should be ok after awhile. I'd be fairly confident about settling a yankee in my head but not the fiendish bet that is a Dundee shuffle..

DUNDEE SHUFFLE
----------------------


4 selections combined in 4 full stake Singles Any to Come a half stake Trixie on the other three, 6 half stake Doubles Any to Come a full stake Double on the other two, 4 half stake Trebles and each way half stake Accumulator.
(16 bets, 4 at full stake and 12 at half stake, e.g. 4 x 50p + 12 x 25p = £5 stake).
Report SlippyBlue December 11, 2014 9:43 PM GMT
Why is it called a Dundee Shuffle by the way, any ideas?
Report Do wah Diddy December 11, 2014 9:48 PM GMT
5 IS THE ANSWER FOR ALL OF YOU THAT DONT KNOW ,AND IVE DONE IT IN MY HEAD
Report boxingthefox December 11, 2014 9:49 PM GMT
Laugh
Report jed.davison December 11, 2014 9:52 PM GMT
May not be relevant to most people's lives, but she's the Secretary of State for Education. She is entitled, at the very least, to have had an education herself, and to remember some of it.
Report Do wah Diddy December 11, 2014 9:58 PM GMT
IF I WAS THE MAN WHO MADE THE DICTIONARY I WOULD HAVE CALLED IT THE TRIANGLE ROOT AS A TRIANGLE HAS 3 SIDES 5 TRIANGLED =5×5×5 =125

WHY CALL IT THE CUBIC ROOT WHEN A CUBE HAS MORE THAN 3 SIDES,
Report Do wah Diddy December 11, 2014 9:59 PM GMT
THEREFORE THE TRIANGLED ROOT OF 125 WOULD BE 5
Report Do wah Diddy December 11, 2014 10:00 PM GMT
NO WONDER KIDS GET CONFUSED WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT CUBES WHEN THEY MEAN TRIANGLES
Report Barry Conway December 11, 2014 10:05 PM GMT
No idea but whenever someone talks about "strictly" at work I always mention the Dundee shuffle. Normally gets some approving glances from armchair aficionados. I imagine it's related to alcohol mind you!
Report Barry Conway December 11, 2014 10:06 PM GMT
Oops no nothing to do with the drink.
Report SlippyBlue December 11, 2014 10:13 PM GMT
Well whoever invented that bet they must have been on Buckie or at the very least LSD imo. Yes jed, I agree and she made herself look rather stupid not being able to answer it even with her Oxford degree in the locker.
Report CLYDEBANK29 December 11, 2014 10:23 PM GMT
She's been made to look rather stupid, rather than she made herself look stupid.

1.01 with a clear head and asked the question on a piece of paper she'd know the answer, but when you are focused on other things, live on air, and someone throws in an infantile question it can throw you, which it did.
Report Clungehungry December 11, 2014 10:23 PM GMT
Should have told him to **** off and learn how to lay bricks.
Report CLYDEBANK29 December 11, 2014 10:28 PM GMT
Price of Lego these days he probably can't afford to.
Report jed.davison December 11, 2014 10:29 PM GMT
Used to settle for Independents, if anyone had put a Dundee Shuffle on, it would have been the last bet they ever placed in my shop.

I had one guy, used to do Placepots, three selections in each race, let's call them A,B and C. He permed any three As, Any two Bs and a C - obviously they had to be in different races so he had a correct selection in each race. How many bets is that?
Report CLYDEBANK29 December 11, 2014 10:34 PM GMT
j.d. re the perm placepots please refer to Clungehungry's 22.23 post

or if not

ask the Education Secretary
Report CLYDEBANK29 December 11, 2014 10:39 PM GMT
20*15*6 would be my first punt
Report CLYDEBANK29 December 11, 2014 10:40 PM GMT
less the multiples in the same races
Report jed.davison December 11, 2014 10:43 PM GMT
Keep trying.
Report CLYDEBANK29 December 11, 2014 10:45 PM GMT
20*3*1*2*2*2?
Report CLYDEBANK29 December 11, 2014 10:46 PM GMT
actually 20*3*1*2*2*3
Report CLYDEBANK29 December 11, 2014 10:46 PM GMT
60 combinations of 12 lines
Report jed.davison December 11, 2014 10:51 PM GMT
It's 60 bets. Was pretty simple if he only had one or two winning lines. Had more arguments with him than I did with my first wife.
Report CLYDEBANK29 December 11, 2014 10:53 PM GMT
actually just 20*3 as they are all individual lines
Report CLYDEBANK29 December 11, 2014 10:54 PM GMT
I didn't see your last post, honestLaugh
Report jed.davison December 11, 2014 10:58 PM GMT
Don't worry, at least you tried. More than the Minister did.
Report SlippyBlue December 11, 2014 11:03 PM GMT
"Had more arguments with him than I did with my first wife"

That's a gem jed Grin
Report bodil December 12, 2014 12:56 AM GMT
We are somewhere in the sixties (as in more than 60 countries are better than us) when it comes to maths and science in world education.  Thanks to the incestuous self-serving relationship between politicians, teachers' unions, exam boards, educational professionals/civil servants and gormless parents.  The Chinese will eat us.  In many delicious dishes.  Mmm.

I would have preferred 'cube root'.  Old-timer stuff.
Report Capt__F December 12, 2014 1:06 AM GMT
each way all each way wot a barstoot and no mis placed comma to help
Report Clungehungry December 12, 2014 1:15 AM GMT
http://www.businessinsider.com/pisa-rankings-2013-12?IR=T

Would suggest UK is doing much better than that, although if Vietnam is so strong it isn't really paying off for them yet.
Report CLYDEBANK29 December 12, 2014 8:34 AM GMT
Doesn't matter, the countries with the lowest tax regimes will effectively buy the most talented people, for a fraction of the cost.  Thereby, pushing up house prices in it's elitist districts to exorbitant prices.  Yes it's......... Monaco.  They will grab the money off them at the roulette table.
Report Ampleforth December 12, 2014 10:00 AM GMT

Burton-Brewers 11 Dec 14 18:20 Joined: 01 Feb 12 | Topic/replies: 11,245 | Blogger: Burton-Brewers's blog
yes but could anyone do a lobster back development from scratch?



YES, I CAN!!!!!! and a square to round!! CoolCoolCoolCoolCoolSillySillySilly
Post Your Reply
<CTRL+Enter> to submit
Please login to post a reply.

Wonder

Instance ID: 13539
www.betfair.com