Frazz by Jef Mallett for September 10, 2008
Transcript:
"Here's my math quiz." "you need to show me your work." "There's not much to show. I just kind of see the answers." "you don't show your work, you don't get credit." "The difference between 'Genius' and 'Academic probation': Mrs. Olsen." "I can see that."
I was like that too. I could converge on the solution to simultaneous equations by ‘feel’. When the Head of Maths (who had taught us to do dead reckoning and mental arithmetic) got a new job, the replacement teacher was freaked out by me. I could also do logarithms to four significant figures and square roots to six or seven digits.
It was scary how the skill faded away within about 8 years through lack of practice.