--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer" <r...@...> wrote: > > From: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:fairfieldl...@yahoogroups.com] > On Behalf Of authfriend > Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 2:30 PM > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Irresponsible Advice > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:FairfieldLife%40yahoogroups.com> , "Rick Archer" <rick@> wrote: > > > > The other day while driving, I was listening to KHOE, > > the local MUM radio station (http://khoe.org/) and > > there was a show in which John Hagelin was reading > > meditators' questions to Maharishi. One kid asked him > > whether he should study modern mathematics, which he > > obviously wanted to do. Apparently he had heard that > > MMY has said that it was a waste of time. MMY reaffirmed > > that it was a waste of time, and proceeded to explain > > why in a way that made it obvious he didn't really know > > much about modern mathematics or probably even Vedic > > mathematics. > > > > This struck me as irresponsible, as the kid obviously > > respected MMY's opinion, and might forfeit a promising > > career based upon it. > > Presumably he did say the kid should study Vedic math, > right? > > Right. > > Did he say the kid shouldn't become a mathematician? > > No. > > How old was the kid, could you tell? Elementary school, > high school? > > Near or at college age. > > As I understand it, what's called "Vedic math" (which > may not be all that Vedic anyway) is a system for doing > arithmetic, not higher math. If that's the case, > learning to do arithmetic this way wouldn't stop him > from going on to a career in higher math. > > Right, but the way MMY argued it, using examples that > to me implied a very limited understanding of math in > any form, Vedic math is the be all and end all.
I'm still puzzled as to why you suggest the kid might have "forfeited a promising career." If Vedic math isn't the be-all and end-all, he'll find that out in pretty short order.
