this post was submitted on 26 May 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 237 points 5 months ago (2 children)
 40-32/2
=40-16
=24
=4*3*2*1
=4!
[–] [email protected] 43 points 5 months ago

Ah shit. I almost hate this one more than loss.

[–] [email protected] 157 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (5 children)

I hate how these things always come up because "order of operations!" It's mostly people who are bad at math remembering one topic they struggled with and finally got right, and now they know it's a touchy subject so it will drive engagement. It's the modern equivalent of "Mathematicians hate this one secret for solving equations! Click to find out!" Pure engagement bait.

But in all the engineering ive done, things never really come up like this. If there is any potential clarity issues, parentheses would be used, or it would be formatted in a way that makes it much more clear.

40 - (32/2), or 40 - ³²⁄₂ has no clarity issues imo. You don't even have to think about order of operations because 32 halves is a number on its own. it isn't an "operation" to do necessarily, it's a fraction to reduce.

And yes, I get the joke. The joke is making fun of the engagement bait of "some people will get the order of operations wrong!"

The joke(40 - 32)/2 = 4

If you stop here, you used the wrong order of operations. This is where the the fights normally start in the replies.

but the kid said "4!" not "4"

40 - (32/2) = 24 = 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 = 4!

[–] [email protected] 70 points 5 months ago (2 children)

s. If there is any potential clarity issues, parentheses would be used, or it would be formatted in a way that makes it much more clear.

It reminds me of a very old xkcd that posits "communicating badly and acting smug when you're misunderstood is not cleverness "

https://xkcd.com/169/

[–] [email protected] 23 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I knew XKCD is based, but this is new level

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I mean, xkcd numbers its comics sequentially, and he's well into the 2000's now, so a 1xy comic is ancient. Looks like at times, old xkcd was brutal.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago

Especially hat guy.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's the same as "only 2% of people get this right! If you get it right you have a very strong brain!". It's just a little more devious about it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Exactly. if only 2% of people get it, perhaps you’re just shitty at communicating.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Love the insight on the bait.

Thanks for the mathsplanation too.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

It does leave ambiguity with it being an, apparent, quote/dialogue. Correct and Incorrect are both correct depending on your POV and how you interpret social media posts

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[–] [email protected] 91 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

40-32/2 _ 4!

40-16 _ 2×3×4

30-6 _ 2×12

24 = 24

Checks out.

[–] [email protected] 55 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Depends if the kid said "four!" or "four factorial"

[–] [email protected] 25 points 5 months ago

all maths must be said in a neutral tone lest you imply factorials

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That’s how I say factorial though I just yell

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

So Italians mathematicians put everything in factorial

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago

Almost as if the joke relies on the fact that in written form those are the same.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Throw up some brackets, you rage-baiting motherfucker!

[–] [email protected] 32 points 5 months ago (1 children)

No actually the trick to this one is that Four-Factorial equals 24

So 40 - 16 = 24

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Aha! Fair enough.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago (1 children)

This one's perfectly unambiguous without brackets, unlike the 1/2x stuff

[–] SmartmanApps 1 points 5 months ago

1/2x is also unambiguous. 2a=(2xa) by definition. Has done for at least 180 years. Terms

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago (11 children)

Don't need brackets due to BODMAS Division comes before subtraction

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago (1 children)

And that kids name? Mathew Matician.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

The kid who got it wrong? Numbers McCountyFingers.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (5 children)

Intentionally writing equations shittily is a special type of brain rot.

40 - (32 / 2) = ?

Ftfy.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 5 months ago

The cleverness is that it works either way

40-16=4!

8/2=4

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago

But then there's no joke/trick.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's not written shitty, though.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

fun fact, ? = sqrt(-|x| / 0) for all real x

[–] SmartmanApps 2 points 5 months ago

Nothing wrong with the way it's written - division before subtraction.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I actually remember seeing this on my YouTube feed. I was pretty confused at first until I saw the factorial sign.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago
[–] [email protected] 15 points 5 months ago

Where is the bell curve

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Not related. I love your username

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

Reject tradition, embrace crab

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago

it's wrong, because:

  • i would never ask a kid something like that
  • there is a question mark missing
  • i don't know any kids and they would probably just flip me off in that situation, which is okay, because they shouldn't talk to strangers
[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

Such a great post lmao

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

What enrages me is the pairing of "wrong" and "correct".

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

With pemdas correct if written, incorrect if spoken. Ignoring pemdas the opposite. And verbally if the exclamation is not spoken as factorial

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