To be fair about this let us give it a bit of context first. Since it was a conversation now several months old this perhaps could tell you how much it disturbed me.
The statement was "If you are an English major and literature your intended field; Calculus is a waste of time better spent on other subjects. If you never will use it no point in taking it."
From Which college-majors-need-calculus? via (theclassroom.com)
you can add psychology and economics to the list that require it. It helps you to differentiate between science and bullshit. If you want an MBA you need it too.
I don't recall using it on the job; but can say it helped learning to take larger problems and break them down in to smaller ones that can then be dealt with. It has helped me to impose order on the chaos (well some order). It gave me confidence and I get where if you could not do it ...it would deprive you of yours.
The statement was "If you are an English major and literature your intended field; Calculus is a waste of time better spent on other subjects. If you never will use it no point in taking it."
From Which college-majors-need-calculus? via (theclassroom.com)
you can add psychology and economics to the list that require it. It helps you to differentiate between science and bullshit. If you want an MBA you need it too.
I don't recall using it on the job; but can say it helped learning to take larger problems and break them down in to smaller ones that can then be dealt with. It has helped me to impose order on the chaos (well some order). It gave me confidence and I get where if you could not do it ...it would deprive you of yours.
Hard to ignore the future when you have studied time as a variable. Chess anyone? How many moves ahead can you see? If we were just going to do the easy things, would we learn to solve a Rubiks cube?
If we avoid the difficult does that lead us to a better life? Or perhaps ignorance truly is bliss.
