I Can't Count! Confesses Boe Economist

[Peter Pedant]

yes boys and girls he thinks: 1+ 1 = 3
No wonder we are in the crap

I wish I had A level Maff says Banks top economist
Times today
Nicla Woolcock: The Bank of Englands chief economist has admitted that he has struggled at times with his career because he did not take Maff A level. Andy Haldane who has recorded a speech ....

says really it could have been better
[by golly he can say that again]
the admits that he often wondered if one plus one was fwee - a very large number

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8314897/Bank-England-chief-economist-reveals-struggled-times-not-taking-maths-level.html

if you have wondered why we are in the economic crap
well wonder no more

er OK a question - what do ABers think ?

[wolf63]

I can't count either.

Didn't matter - my career was only spent on paying out benefit payments. The gov has tons of money so what difference does a few thousand pounds of errors here or there?

[Peter Pedant]

oh thanks
I can count - and count everything
no I am not a full time bean counter - er not small minded enough

[albaqwerty]

there's a difference between maths and arithmetic isn't there?

1+1 = 2 (arithmetic)
e equals emcee squared (maths)

That's my defence and I'm sticking with it :D

[Peter Pedant]

I think that qualifies you to be chief eek at the Bank of England doesnt it?

overqualifies perhaps on current criteria

[Spicerack]

I'll back Nicola against 'your' Diane. How Much?

[youngmafbog]

Economics is a different subject to 'Maths' so not really a problem, although most people I knew who went on to study economics at uni did Pure and Stats A level (whereas I did Pure and Applied)

[zebo]

I was a Head of Maths, degrees etc., if I went shopping with my mother, passed 11+ but couldn't afford to go. she knew to the nearest 10p what she had, I was lucky if I knew to the nearest fiver. She once had a dispute with British Gas and baffled them with her figures.
As has been said, Numeracy and Mathematics are not the same thing.

[-SharonA-]

I hate maths & am useless at adding up the simplest of sums, so I wouldn't think of taking a job in that environment.

[Peter Pedant]

I was head of Maff - where Enro and then Wormwood scrubs?

As has been said, Numeracy and Mathematics are not the same thing

Come on come on - if you are not numerate, then you cannot do maff, so one is obviously a subset of another

unlike - you can be dyslexic and still write a best seller
or not be able to paint but still sell your stuff ( andy warhol )

I mean there is the story of Einstein and the oil seller ( einstein does control volume calculations and Maritsa ( Mrs Einstein that is!) says "Dolly Finkbaum down de road says it will be a cold winter so vee will have double"_)

[Peter Pedant]

oh yeah
a head of maff who announces in the pub - I cant buy the next round because I am no good wiv moolah ! - never got the 12 pence to a shillen bit

[Apc2604]

I don't like plain arithmetic, but like maths and have qualifications in economics and statistics. I hated accounts!

[naomi24]

My very good friend is a brilliant mathematician who insists he’s just ‘good at sums’. He’s refreshingly modest.

[Deskdiary]

You ask an accountant what does 1+1 equal and they’ll tell you whatever you want it to make!

[NickorWan]

I stumbled on 'Numberphile' on Youtube a few months ago while researching a theme for a puzzle and have become a bit addicted to it. I had forgotten that maths can be interesting.

[Peter Pedant]

Nickorwan
Tommy rocks - does the numberphile navier stokes (1) equations - These are a big deal in the high brow maff world but are never used in the real world which never get much above Bernouilli

Tommy also does a bit about modelling ( dread word!) of Covid under the name Tommy Rocks - and manages to get a length/area side of things so that the models can do difft things at difft places in England.

and Tommy also gets analytical answers to various things where 30y ago, the tutors waved at the board and said "no one knows the answer to that!" - to which I have to say I thought "Christ!"

Tommy looks about 16

oh and none of the covid modellers have said
"I never got maff a level you know"

[Peter Pedant]

Letter in the Times today - Friday 15th

"There was a time that economists didnt need to add - and that time is now. Macroeconomics - ( eek theory + maff ) only came in post 1958 and that is after my degree and I havent done badly "( writes an aged economic theorist)
"AND I regard fwee as a vary large number !"

he goes on to demolish models modellers and ICs (*) with the NJ razor - "modellers no worf a ha'pence. It sees a car going to a wall at 60 mph, and says if no brakes it'll crash! n all !
It stops in time with its brakes and the people get out and
gawd strike me - narfin happens - shoot the modellers now, lower than vermin!"

so it must be true
economists who read mediaeval french at uni
really can run the country better !

[THECORBYLOON]

Did he actually say he can't count?

[Peter Pedant]

erm I was making it more interesting

zebo says maff men can be innumerate - so I have no conscience about that - corbyloo, you dont normally take what you read at face value innit? havent you noticed the storm of clarifications involving NOT in people posts on AB ?
so there a set of people that it doesnt matter what they say one day because they will correct to the opposite the next day

I wd be amazed if anyone understood Debreu's Theory of Value wivvart calculus - The mandarins in London say it is reqd reading for incoming ministers into the Treasury apparently

[with Kenneth Arrow, in which they provided a definitive mathematical proof of the existence of a general equilibrium, using topological rather than calculus-based methods.] in case it has just er slipped your memory

the last bit about Debreu and the mandarins is true

[NickorWan]

Sorry, PP, just seen your post from a couple of days ago. I haven't watched any Tom Rocks' videos, but will try. There are some really good presenters on the channel who make learning interesting.

[Peter Pedant]

any good maff ones please tip me off
trouble is - there are boring bits to maff
( just as in a language - you have to learn a vocab....)