Should Hindu-Arabic numerals be removed from the US school system?

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Type: Question • Score: 4 • Views: 1,908 • Replies: 20

[+5] - Setanta - 09/07/2019The best first step would be to remove holy rollers from schools.
[+3] - blatham - 09/08/2019Seems OK so long as we have some means of tallying up blue-ribbon-stupid questions.
[+3] - roger - 09/09/2019Well, of course they didn't know what they were voting for. They read the question and voted against the word 'Arabic'.

@Jewels Vern,

Go back to Roman numerals?

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That's a great idea. Maybe students should be issued a bag of pebbles and taught how to calculate with a soroban.

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@hightor,

1111 Tally.

I don't know about soroban, but some people used to be pretty handy with an abacus.

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@Jewels Vern,

Are you claiming we use Hindu or Arabic numbers in the US?

In india, I belive they mainly use European numbers (at least in context of English). In countries like Egypt and Jordan they use Arabic numwrals.. These are quite a but different than the numbers on your keyboard.

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@maxdancona,

We don't use Arabic numbers?

1 Reply

@roger,

If by "arabic numbers" you mean the numbers they use in countries that speak Arabic... then no. I travelled in Egypt and Jordan and had to learn the number system to make sure I got on the correct bus.

I tried to learn to speak Arabic. I failed. But I did figure out the numerals.

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@maxdancona,

No, I don't mean numbers used in Arabia. Try google for a definition.

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@roger,

Yeah...It's ambiguous.

The fact that "arabic" numerals refer to anything other that the numerals used by people who speak Arabic is nonsensical to me.

This is what happens when you let colonial powers assign names to things.

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Quote:

Should Hindu-Arabic numerals be removed from the US school system?

Some people would say that would be as ridiculous as not teaching the bible in science, history and ethics.

But I guess we all have your number.

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The best first step would be to remove holy rollers from schools.

1 Reply

@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

The best first step would be to remove holy rollers from schools.

I taught Earth and space science as an elective in a public high school. This was a district north of Boston that had a sizable number of evangelical Christians. This included young Earth creationists. This may surprise you, but evangelic Christian students have a right to a good education that respects their cultural heritage the same as any other student.

At the beginning of the section on the Universe, I gave a explanation that we were going to be talking about the science. Students had the right to their own beliefs, all I asked is that they could explain the scientific understanding of the Universe and evidence behind it. I had some good students who were young Earth creationists. They had no problem with the material.

The only problem I had was with an atheist student who kept on saying... "that is why scientists know there is no God". She ended up dropping the course when I questioned her. She was upset that I didn't back her up.

I don't know what you plan to do with "holy rollers" since we have a strange idea that everyone has a right to a good education regardless of their cultural heritage.

1 Reply

@Jewels Vern,

Yes they should. America should revert to Roman numerals and shamanism while the rest of the World moves into the 21st Century.

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Seems OK so long as we have some means of tallying up blue-ribbon-stupid questions.

1 Reply

@blatham,

I can't see any reason for asking this question that's not racist. Islam is not an enemy of the West, Islam kick started the reformation.

Maybe America should go the whole hog and stop studying anything derived from Islam like Chemistry.

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@izzythepush,

Racism or religious bigotry. Or both, of course. And add in an apparent lack of comprehension regarding the intellectual history of the western world.

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@blatham,

Exactly, it's not like this is a conversation we haven't already had. Arabic numerals were seen as heretical until common sense prevailed and we dropped Roman numerals.

Doing maths in Arabic takes a fraction of the time it takes with RN, and when you look at everything that needs maths, it's ridiculous not to.

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Here is the backstory: https://listverse.com/2019/09/03/top-10-fascinating-facts-involving-numbers/

Quote:

In 2019, a research company called CivicScience asked people to vote in a poll. The question was simple. Should Hindu-Arabic numerals be removed from the US school system? Over 3,600 voters responded. When the results were extrapolated from this group, it suggested that half of all Americans want the numerals banned. This was weird. Hindu-Arabic numerals are the digits 0 to 9. Chances are that the voters did not quite grasp this fact. The name comes from its origins (India around AD 400) and the foreigners who adopted the system by adding their own flavor (Arabic).[9]The West has used 0 to 9 for so long that few think about where the numerals came from and most consider the system as Western. The strong reaction supporting the ban could be tied to tribalism.Researchers feel that when people follow “facts” because it helps them identify with their group, which is classic tribalism, things tend to spiral into bigotry. Not just against the Middle East but also within the US between groups that support the ban and those who view it as disinformation.

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@Jewels Vern,

Well, of course they didn't know what they were voting for. They read the question and voted against the word 'Arabic'.

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@Jewels Vern,

What nonsense.

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Should Hindu-Arabic numerals be removed from the US school system?

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