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Originally Posted by 'Sacha[_4_
When I was about 4 or 5 I went to a small school where we used to chant
our tables first lesson every morning. I know it's considered the
'wrong way' now (or is it?) but that method certainly made the tables
stick in the mind. To this day, I recall my tables easily.
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Arguably, knowing ones tables is a lot less important than being able to understand percentages, differentials and probabilities. Often I see articles in the press in which percentages have been translated into fractions which are plain incorrect, hear people mix up "RPI is lower" with "prices are reducing", or see people worry unduly about a "50% increased risk" when the risk itself is so small that the change in behaviour to avoid the risk itself has more ill effects!
I'd happily settle for less ability to multiply numbers together in ones head in exchange for greater understanding of what the numbers actually say, and therefore a greater ability to separate scientific argument from opinion and quackery.
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