Maybe the females were constantly being told that *this* [holds finger and thumb apart about 4 inches] was actually 8 inches.
C.O., very un-PC
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Down with categorical imperative!
flutzpah@yahoo.com
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________________________________
From: "LaMontagne, Bob" <RLAMONT@providence.edu>
To: Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 10:31:10 AM
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] scientific notation
Old guys like me just laugh at whether or not to use E or ^ or some
other key. Slide rules made multiplication a very visual process and
forced one to follow what constitutes a reasonable answer through the
process. Perhaps the "visual" aspect of the slide rule explained why
males were much more comfortable using them than females - (anecdotal
comment based on what I observed going through HS and college). Now that
we have calculators everyone seems to misunderstand the device equally.