Human hubris, so it is said, knows no bounds. Barely three weeks after our planet was treated to a cosmic "warning shot" courtesy of asteroid 2005 YU55, we are continuing in our quest to antagonize our solar systemal neighbors.
The Mars Science Laboratory, nicknamed "Curiosity" by NASA managers, launched this morning on its journey to the red planet. The boring, lifeless red rocks found by the Viking landers and the Pathfinder rover and the Spirit and Opportunity rovers were not sufficient to satisfy astronomers' Barsoomian curiosity about the boring lifeless planet, so we just had to send one more probe just to be sure.
Showing posts with label asterisk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asterisk. Show all posts
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Vale- "Dict-" Over By Numbers
This may be the most shocking story of numeric abuse The Math Skeptic has heard of to date. Numbers quite literally tried to rob Malverne High School senior Aalique Grahame of his richly-deserved valedictorial honors.
Despite having the highest grade-point average in his class, a so-called "calculation error" resulted in Grahame being named salutatorian. The top honor instead went to his classmate Sarah St. John. When the "error" was discovered, the Board of Education attempted to add insult to insult by naming both Grahame and St. John co-valedictorians.
Any Math Skeptic can see what really happened here. This is nothing less than a vendetta by mathematics against an innocent young man. Mr. Grahame would have been haunted by the co-valedictorial title for life, like Roger Maris was haunted by his asterisk. Years and years of explaining his tarnished valedictory status at job interviews and award acceptance speeches, and would ultimately have left poor Aalique Grahame a bitter, broken shell of a man.
Happily, this story has a happy ending. The humans ultimately triumphed over the numbers, as the Board of Education reversed its decision and awarded Mr. Grahame his sole title.
Congratulations, Mr. Grahame - on your academic achievement AND your triumph over the arithmetocracy.
Despite having the highest grade-point average in his class, a so-called "calculation error" resulted in Grahame being named salutatorian. The top honor instead went to his classmate Sarah St. John. When the "error" was discovered, the Board of Education attempted to add insult to insult by naming both Grahame and St. John co-valedictorians.
Any Math Skeptic can see what really happened here. This is nothing less than a vendetta by mathematics against an innocent young man. Mr. Grahame would have been haunted by the co-valedictorial title for life, like Roger Maris was haunted by his asterisk. Years and years of explaining his tarnished valedictory status at job interviews and award acceptance speeches, and would ultimately have left poor Aalique Grahame a bitter, broken shell of a man.
Happily, this story has a happy ending. The humans ultimately triumphed over the numbers, as the Board of Education reversed its decision and awarded Mr. Grahame his sole title.
Congratulations, Mr. Grahame - on your academic achievement AND your triumph over the arithmetocracy.
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