全 189 件のコメント

[–]Hipp013 275ポイント276ポイント  (35子コメント)

"Don't downvote me! I'm right! You're all just idiots!"

[–]Wuhba 60ポイント61ポイント  (0子コメント)

Downvote your own ignorance.

[–]karmapolice8d 9ポイント10ポイント  (0子コメント)

It is so satisfying to downvote a poster who complains about downvotes.

[–]stealhome369 27ポイント28ポイント  (1子コメント)

But it's OK. Because downvotes are just a social construct.

[–]-INSERTLIFEHERE- 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

The pure irony of him calling maths a social construct and then being pissed off at a literal social construct (downvotes) never ceases to confound me...

[–]Jezawan 27ポイント28ポイント  (1子コメント)

If it wasn't for the edit this post would be shit.

[–]hangm4n 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Let's go a different angle here.

Perhaps the user means to really infer something that can't be openly discussed on the internet?

[–]CoagulationZed 348ポイント349ポイント  (84子コメント)

This is absolutely true and whoever posted it doesn't know what they're talking about.

Math is and will always be subjunctive. It is a framework (a rigorously logical one) that invariably leads to conclusions given a set of axiomatic assumptions. ONCE THOSE ASSUMPTIONS ARE IN PLACE, then you are constrained by them logically and what follows is, by definition, necessary.

2+2 will = 4 given the definitions for 2, 4 and the addition operator. That isn't a "social construct", an opinion, or by any means avoidable. It is a necessary logical conclusion. The SYSTEM of mathematics however, is literally a human construct.

edit: The wording in my preface was ambiguous. The person in the screenshot is the one who is correct. Whoever posted it to this sub is the one out of their depth.

[–]thedarrch 77ポイント78ポイント  (11子コメント)

the debate between math being invented or discovered is a complex one, and definitely not easily resolved. OP is commenting on the pretentious nature of the poster's tone ("downvote your own ignorance").

our understanding of math hardly varies due to our culture and beliefs. yes, different base systems exist, yes, different ways of notating numbers exist. 0 + 1 is still 1, unless maybe if you're like the piraha and don't utilize the concept of specific quantity.

[–]StoopidmanRHere 36ポイント37ポイント  (9子コメント)

Screenshot Guy (SG) says,

as a social construct, our understanding of math varies...

Then /u/CoagulationZed says,

...isn't a "social construct", an opinion, or by any means avoidable. It is a necessary logical conclusion. The SYSTEM of mathematics however, is literally a human construct.

First of all, SG was talking about social constructs, NOT human constructs.

Secondly, Zed says SG is incorrect defining math as a social construct then later states SG is the one correct and OP is "out of their depth".

There's a lot of pretentious shit going on around here.

[–]Godzilla2y 9ポイント10ポイント  (1子コメント)

"He's wrong/right/wrong/wrong/right"

Math exists. How it's framed or perceived varies between whatever the fuck, but it's always been a thing. I don't see how people can write 80 paragraphs trying to say this or the opposite of it

[–]freudisfail 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

This is a real field of study. People get degrees in arguing about the differences in how people think of mathematics. The big three here are Formalists, Platonists, and Intuitionists. An over simplification of the philosophies would be that Formalists believe math is a way of reasoning about formal systems. Those formal systems can very, but the concept of doing math is independent of the systems. That is, 1+1 need not =2 , but I could still be doing valid math. Platonists believe the is some truth of mathematics in the world and people just realize those mathematical truths. Intuitionists believe that math is in our minds. Truth is about mental constructions and sharing math (what we think of as doing math) is just meant to create the same mental constructions in each person's mind.

In two of those three "math" as most people understand it, is just a social construct. Only in Platonism (which has seriously fallen out of favor with mathematicians, but still remains popular to everyday folks) is math a universal concept independent of people.

Sorry not a philosopher, so some of this could be wrong. I'm just a lowly logician.

[–]phforNZ 9ポイント10ポイント  (0子コメント)

I'd say mathematics was "defined", rather than invented or discovered.

[–]bestdarkslider 31ポイント32ポイント  (9子コメント)

I remember a discussion once on, would an alien race use math the same way that we do.

It was an interesting read, but there isn't really a clear answer.

[–]thetarget3 38ポイント39ポイント  (2子コメント)

I'd imagine the basic things, like arithmetic and Euclidean geometry would be pretty much the same, since they are based on everyday experience. Other subjects, like calculus which is integral (geddit?) to modern science would probably also be the same, since it's hard to imagine physics without it.

More abstract maths could be totally different though. I guess they probably wouldn't use the same axioms as us, and therefore get some pretty different results.

This is super interesting, do you maybe have a link to the discussion?

[–]Khaaannnnn 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

No need to look for aliens to find totally different abstract maths.

There are quite a few variations of abstract math right here on Earth.

[–]ZugNachPankow 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

I wouldn't be so quick to claim that Euclidean geometry is based on everyday experience. Sure, the first models of geometry were Euclidean, but that's because on an ancient-human scale the surface of the Earth can be modeled as Euclidean (the discrepancy of physical experiments was well between the error margin, and Euclidean geometry is significantly easier to reason about). Had the Earth been significantly smaller, for instance, a different model of geometry would be born first, and it would also be based on everyday experience.

[–]Zilty 8ポイント9ポイント  (1子コメント)

The solution is really quite simple. Just ask an alien.

[–]anothga 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Yeah, uh, about that...

[–]mordacthedenier 5ポイント6ポイント  (2子コメント)

"2 + 2 = 10"

"What? Oh, you must be using base 4"

"No, I'm using base 10, what's base 4?"

[–]younginventor -2ポイント-1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Ooh ooh you should read the short story that new Amy Adams sci-fi flick is about I forget the name but it's free to read online and allllll about that ++

[–]positive_electron42 65ポイント66ポイント  (4子コメント)

You're technically right, which is the best kind of right.

[–]Raging_bull_54 56ポイント57ポイント  (3子コメント)

"You are technically correct, the best kind of correct."

I'm sorry but you were not technically correct and now I must screenshot your comment and submit it to this sub post haste. May God have mercy on your soul.

[–]positive_electron42 44ポイント45ポイント  (2子コメント)

TIFU by joking on /r/iamverysmart.

[–]NormalMacdonald 30ポイント31ポイント  (1子コメント)

Sometimes you jerk the circle, sometimes the circle jerks you.

[–]Andr3wski 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

When does the circle jerk you? that sounds a lot better than jerking the whole circle and not getting jerked yourself

[–]klawehtgod 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

Do you mean Math is subjective? If not, what does subjunctive mean in this context?

[–]zodar 8ポイント9ポイント  (16子コメント)

[–]SirFluffymuffin 2ポイント3ポイント  (12子コメント)

So kind of like a language?

[–]CoagulationZed 8ポイント9ポイント  (0子コメント)

Yes and no. They are similar in that they both use labels to exchange ideas and describe concepts. Math is different in that it is heavily constrained by logic. As any linguist can tell you, this is far from the case with language.

[–]Thissite1s 4ポイント5ポイント  (1子コメント)

I mean, he did say it was subjunctive

[–]mario_meowingham 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

sarcastic eyeroll He would say that

[–]IanGecko[S] 4ポイント5ポイント  (6子コメント)

Although it's the same in every country.

[–]LeftZer0 2ポイント3ポイント  (3子コメント)

Because everyone decided to adopt it. Try showing 2+2=4 to someone in the Roman Empire.

[–]baaabuuu 8ポイント9ポイント  (1子コメント)

They had their own numbers but of course they'd understand it?

I mean how else would they do their trading?

[–]OrShUnderscore 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Addition vs counting?

I'm sure they could tell they were exchanging equal amounts or whatever set price.

[–]antonivs 0ポイント1ポイント  (1子コメント)

It's not even the same in one country. For example, there are multiple varieties of set theory, and entire alternatives to set theory such as category theory. Aliens might very well come up with neither, and use something else.

[–]IanGecko[S] 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

It was a Mean Girls reference

[–]Crowbarmagic 1ポイント2ポイント  (1子コメント)

Math is way more 'concrete' while the meaning of words and the way of telling a story can change over time.

The definition of some words have changed a bit over time, sometimes broadening or sometimes narrowing the meaning ("artificial", "shoot", or "place"), but I wouldn't know of any example in history where 2 used to mean 1.9 or 2.3. Sure, you find a difference in systems (like metric vs imperial nowadays), but (very simply put) if someone in 200 BC has an apple and someone gave him another he still has 2 apples no matter what the translation to current day English would be.

[–]fishsticks40 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Well, and the apples are still apples regardless of the language used. Language is a system used to describe things. Math is a system used to describe numbers. The underlying truths are unchanging, but math and science are simply ways we describe the world, they aren't the reality of it.

[–]HRPaperStacks 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

This is absolutely true and whoever posted it doesn't know what they're talking about.

This sub isn't about whether or not people are right, it's about people trying too hard to look smart. This isn't a particularly good post though

[–]DeliciousKiwi 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

For sake of semantics would you call that a social construct though? It seems your word of 'human construct' is a lot more fitting.

[–]LithiumEnergy 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Yes, the assumption is that the world is logical

[–]fistkick18 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

I'd say that the only social construct present in math whatsoever is the base 10 system being the norm.

[–]frozen_pie_taster 2ポイント3ポイント  (10子コメント)

Technically correct. While we may have made up mathematics, our universe runs on math. 2+2 is equal to 4 because in our system we built it to be true. However 2 + 2 in the real world is also 4. Two atoms + Two atoms = 4 atoms. gravity, acceleration, etc. So if the universe runs on math, then can you really say that we invented math, or did we discover it?

[–]CoagulationZed 8ポイント9ポイント  (6子コメント)

You're making a mistake. The Universe runs. Hard stop. The "on math" is not only unnecessary, it is incorrect.

We use math to describe nature, imperfectly I might add which should be crucially informative to you. Nature exists independent of any description we come up with, one of which is mathematics (Let's not go all, "Brain-in-a-vat-you-can't-prove-anything-is-real" solipsism right now.) Just because math is an extremely useful descriptive tool, there is absolutely nothing to suggest it is intrinsic or fundamental to the Universe.

Either way, this discussion starts getting dangerously close to the constructivism vs. epistemic realism debate which is an argument of metaphysics to which the correct answer is pointless anyway, so I'll choose to stop before chasing that rabbit any further down the hole.

[–]frozen_pie_taster 4ポイント5ポイント  (2子コメント)

Well, the universe runs on some sort of logic. If our current mathematics model doesn't predict it 100% then we just haven't fully discovered all the pieces of the puzzle yet. Kind of like a half built dinosaur fossil. Either way, whatever logic the universe runs on, we will eventually discover it. Even if we did 'invent' math, then we invented a system that almost exactly represents the world we live in. Like putting a jigsaw puzzle together, it may seem like you invented the way to put the pieces together, but you are really just discovering the way they were meant to be put together in the first place.

[–]LithiumEnergy 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

Logical universe is an assumption that may not always be true

[–]wotererio 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

We invented a system that gives us an indication of what might happen given certain circumstances, but so far we have been unable to make it 100% accurate, and we never will. Quantum physics describes a certian randomness in nature, but even this randomness must come from somewhere. That is something we will never be able to explain using our current mathematical model because there can be no "in between", or randomness in this model.

[–]TheShadowKick 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

When people say the universe runs on math it seems clear to me that they mean that math describes (or attempts to describe) some fundamental workings of the universe.

[–]fishsticks40 0ポイント1ポイント  (1子コメント)

You're making a mistake. The Universe runs. Hard stop.

To be more precise, the universe has run. We make the assumption that it will continue to do so in similar fashion in the future, but there's no particular reason save history to assume that things will continue to behave in the same way they have in the past.

[–]CoagulationZed -1ポイント0ポイント  (0子コメント)

Ah, the problem of induction. You little rascal, you.

[–]D0ct0rJ 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

One gluon plus one gluon is three gluons. Wait, two. Wait, four. Shit, now there are quarks. Damn you, group theory and SU(3) in particular!

[–]LithiumEnergy 0ポイント1ポイント  (1子コメント)

It's an assumption that the Universe is logical. Besides, science constantly faces evidence which goes against mathematical theories, not all of them are correct. Yes, the Universe simply runs, but we can't model it inside a mathematical vacuum, we need to observe it as well.

[–]julianwolf 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

science constantly faces evidence which goes against mathematical theories

If by "mathematical theories" you mean "theories about how the Universe runs that model its behavior mathematically", then you're correct. Math is the language we use for science (especially physics), but new evidence doesn't challenge math itself, just scientific theories that happen to rely on math.

[–]Danishsomething 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

If you want to read up on how science can be understood as a social construct (and not as in the tumblr way of social construc, where everything is just a lie, but more a different way to understand the systems science is build on, and can by that evolve and change for the better) check out Ian Hacking.

[–]Fablemaster44 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

You are eloquent and intelligent but not a verysmart, I like your brain

[–]Khaaannnnn 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Yes, math is invented. There are many, many different systems of math, most purely theoretical, that arise from different definitions and axioms. Mathematicians amuse themselves by thinking about things like this.

But the math we use all the time, the math that matches reality, was discovered.

It's like having a bunch of different theories (math axioms) and testing them to discover the one that actually works.

[–]taoistchainsaw 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Are you sure you don't mean "subjective" not "subjunctive?"

[–]goatsedotcx 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Uh, isn't it up for debate on the philosophical level that math is really just a spook? Like in real academic circles.

[–]pigeonlizard 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

That maths isn't a natural blueprint coded into nature is true. That it varies with our culture and beliefs is not. There are many concepts in maths that were developed independently by different people in different places and at different times.

[–]mr_long_shlong 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Don't upvote him! Upvote him because of your own intelligence!!!

[–]Zouavez 62ポイント63ポイント  (21子コメント)

They're right, but the edit definitely qualifies the comment for this sub.

[–]LameDuckySmith 8ポイント9ポイント  (20子コメント)

Wat? It doesn't matter where you live 2+2 of something will always give you 4

[–]positive_electron42 8ポイント9ポイント  (0子コメント)

2 + 2 = 5, for very large values of 2.

[–]Zouavez 41ポイント42ポイント  (12子コメント)

Yes, but mathematics isn't reality, it's a way of describing reality. To put it another way, mathematics expresses truth about the world without being intrinsic to the world. 2+2=4 in all cultures, but we had to invent the method of expression.

[–]CyberPlatypus 24ポイント25ポイント  (5子コメント)

So kind of like how apples objectively exist, but the word "apple" is a human construct?

[–]Zouavez 7ポイント8ポイント  (1子コメント)

Pretty much, yes. You can look at mathematics as a kind of language (though there are some differences). Similarly, fruit exists, but we made up the category of "fruit" and included apples. Saying an apple isn't a fruit is just as wrong as saying 2+2=5, but "fruit" is still a social construct.

[–]Fermit 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

But the mathematical systems are the same regardless of what you define each variable as, so doesn't that mean that although the expressions/symbols we use to represent values (whether you call a single unit "one", "p", or "ham") might change the underlying systems are all the exact same? If you have one atom and you put it with another atom, regardless of what words you use to express that the resulting value is a pair there are now two atoms. Values and their interactions are universal and inherent, even if what we use to represent them might not be.

[–]antonivs 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

Yes, but it goes beyond that, because it's more difficult to answer the question of whether a mathematical structure "objectively exists", and it's not just about the question of the existence of, say, numbers.

Consider axiomatic systems, one example of which is set theory, which is very basic to modern mathematics. The particular axioms you choose affect how it behaves - for example, there's ZF set theory and ZFC set theory, which are distinguished by whether or not they include the axiom of choice. There are also alternatives to set theory that take a different approach, such as category theory.

Aliens are quite likely to come up with something different yet again. At some level, it tends to be possible to map these systems to each other, and such correspondences are often considered significant because they suggest something more fundamental than the theories themselves. But we can't directly use those fundamental correspondences without making up some sort of system with which to talk about and manipulate them, and the choices we make affect what manipulations we can do.

As such, the mathematics we actually use - as opposed to the Platonic ideal we might hold in our imaginations, what Erdos called "The Book" - is a social construction of humans, that is constrained in certain ways by rules that we choose to include in the systems we construct.

[–]TryingToAdjust 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Also there are different types of apples and they all have different shapes amd sizes, amd they are all confusion from distention atoms.

[–]Santi871 5ポイント6ポイント  (3子コメント)

I agree with you, but there are many people who won't, and nobody's right or wrong because it's an ongoing philosophical debate.

[–]TheShadowKick 4ポイント5ポイント  (2子コメント)

Somebody's wrong, we just don't know who yet.

[–]Santi871 1ポイント2ポイント  (1子コメント)

Don't think we'll ever know.

[–]TheShadowKick 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Nonsense. Never underestimate the power of humans to figure out who to laugh mockingly at.

[–]LTmad 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

My problem with the post isn't him saying it's a social construct since that's technically true. It's with him saying it varies from culture to culture. Pretty sure the entire planet is on board with the same numeric operation system.

[–]Maestroso_ 2ポイント3ポイント  (3子コメント)

No, that's simply the result of how you have defined "2", " 4" and "+". There are also systems where 2 + 4 = 11, which are just as legitimate. Math is just the system we've invented to describe the world around us. That's all it is.

[–]SmoopSmoop 1ポイント2ポイント  (2子コメント)

There are also systems where 2 + 4 = 11

Could you explain what you mean by that? I'm sure you're correct I just don't understand it and am curious.

[–]Maestroso_ 4ポイント5ポイント  (1子コメント)

If you count in base-5, 2 + 4 = 11. Base 5 means that instead of going 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ..., you go 0 1 2 3 4 10 11 12 13 14 20 21 22 ... We only picked base 10 because we have 10 fingers, but that is of course completely arbitrary.

[–]SmoopSmoop 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Ahhhhh ok. I get it now, thanks! I'd heard about different base numbers in maths before, but hadn't quite grasped what it meant until now.

[–]Luthier93 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

To add to the other comment, not all cultures think about math in the same way, believe it or not. The result might be the same, and the basic logic might be the same, but the thought process could be very different. Maybe not with 2+2, that's a little too rudimentary. But complex equations? Absolutely. In fact, there is a whole sect of mathematicians who believe we've been working off a set of rules that is inherently inefficient to a different set of rules they've come up with. I don't remember what those rules are, though.

[–]D0ct0rJ 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Two sodium atoms plus two chlorine atoms equals two salt molecules

[–]AnonTheTerrible 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

What about the fibonacci sequence corresponding to trees or lightning or some shit? My friend once explained it when we were stoned.

[–]efie 4ポイント5ポイント  (0子コメント)

As someone studying maths and physics this thread makes me want to cry

[–]krankes_hirn 18ポイント19ポイント  (2子コメント)

I'm getting tired of people using the term "social construct" to dismiss everything they don't like. The concept of "social construct" is a social construct itself, brought along by a bunch of white european philosophers. Get over your damn selves.

[–]Northern_One 6ポイント7ポイント  (0子コメント)

I know what you mean. It's usually more useful/interesting to ask why certain social constructs exist, and why some are more malleable than others.

[–]Damian4447 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

to dismess everything they don't like

He doesn't like math? I doubt it, he's probably a quantum physicist.

[–]thetarget3 11ポイント12ポイント  (0子コメント)

He is pretty much 100% correct though.

[–]Gamecrazy721 18ポイント19ポイント  (10子コメント)

Right, how many fingers I have is a social construct

[–]PimpMaster69 26ポイント27ポイント  (8子コメント)

Yeah sorta, what if you come from a culture that counts halves as wholes? You'd then have 20 fingers but in the mind of your society that wouldn't be a weird idea.

[–]MarioStern100 5ポイント6ポイント  (4子コメント)

But then wouldn't you have 20 finger halves? (as opposed to "20 fingers")

[–]PimpMaster69 13ポイント14ポイント  (3子コメント)

Yeah but this made up society doesn't call halves halves, wholes would be 2 and halves would be single.

[–]Fermit 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

But all of these semantics won't change the amount of fingers that you have. In the end the two values are interchangeable. You can call an apple either an apple or whatever apple is in spanish but that doesn't change the fact that the apple is an apple.

[–]DickieDawkins 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Same number of fingers different counting method. Simple math can help you make that conversion. We could probably be able to explain that to each other without speaking the same language.

[–]Kalladir 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Functionally, that is just a different notation system, applying actual concept of half to a whole and whole to a pair is easily reduced to our current system with simple multiplication/division by two depending on which way you want to convert, then suddenly all of their rules and calculations become identical. And yes, we could have gone with this silly half=whole if it made any practical sense, but in our experience it is just redundant and adds unneccesary computations.

Your example is not really a different math, a trully "different" math would not be connected to our math, or at least will have parts that won't make sense in our system, most likely you can't even conceive of it, it's trying to imagine the unimaginable.

[–]Gamecrazy721 -2ポイント-1ポイント  (2子コメント)

That's still maths. Maths itself isn't a social construct, or there would be a (theoretical) society without any maths

[–]positive_electron42 19ポイント20ポイント  (1子コメント)

The language of math is constructed, but that which it describes exists independently.

[–]thetarget3 4ポイント5ポイント  (0子コメント)

That's pretty much what is called the Platonic view of the philosophy of science of mathematics. While it's very tempting it has some obvious problems, like how do more abstract mathematical constructs exist?

I mean, it's pretty sensible that natural numbers or straight lines correspond to something in reality, but what about a Lie group or some manifold with a weird topology? How do they exist independently of mathematics?

Even basic objects like circles or whole numbers are problematic. How, for example, does a circle exist outside of mathematics? In the real world there aren't any perfect circles, since everything is basically made up of smaller building blocks. So do these objects exist in another universe which we somehow refer to or what? It seems pretty hard to defend once you examine it closer.

[–]Quinny18 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Eight fingers and two thumbs?

[–]kukac14 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

I guess what this person means is that being stupid at maths is just another "understanding" of maths.

[–]Hopafoot 4ポイント5ポイント  (0子コメント)

Holy crap, this thread deserves to be linked to on this sub. It's like no one has an understanding that there are different philosophies when it comes to math: one that says math is discovered, and another that says it's invented. Subscribing to one or the other doesn't make you right or wrong per se.

What makes the guy in the screenshot a candidate for /r/iamverysmart is 1) Not recognizing both philosophies and presenting one as full truth, 2) "Don't downvote me. Downvote your own ignorance"

What makes a lot of this thread a candidate for /r/iamverysmart is 1) as well, but then 2) also arguing whether math is the symbols and language we use to talk to each other about a given set of topics, or the topics themselves. Hint: It's the latter, not the former as a lot of people in this thread seem to imply.

[–]goldpeaktea314 1ポイント2ポイント  (2子コメント)

How would I go about downvoting my own ignorance?

[–]Epistaxis 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

The positive/negative sign of a vote is a social construct.

[–]DrR0mero 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Just walk around with a "thumbs down" gesture. Everywhere you go.

[–]goldpeaktea314 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Oh man, I just checked out the dude's comment history, there's a ton of cringe in there.

[–]alienkreeper 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Don't downvote me! Downvote yourself for being a stinky butt poopy head!

[–]moxius 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

I downvoted my own ignorance as instructed

[–]mr_d0gMa 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

I like to think of maths as a language that humans invented to be able to speak to the universe

[–]McFearless77 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

This is wrong! The world we think we live in is just a computer simulation and math is just part of the code the programmer used to create the universe.

[–]All_Abhorred 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Telling people not to downvote you must work. He said so and he is very smart.

[–]NormalMacdonald 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Downvotes are a form of oppression.

[–]inuzupunupi 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Ah yes, respect the culture of INGSOC, 2+2=5

[–]DickieDawkins 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

I had a discussion at the bar one day about time being a social construct. Apparently, time doesn't actually exist. Which confused them because the cicadas come out every 17 years. How do animals understand a social construct?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[–]Fablemaster44 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

What the fucking hell?

[–]julianwolf 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

What a fucking idiot. This reminds me of when my calc professor shut down a Very Smart student who loved to argue everything. He had just proven something step by step, and when the asshat student tried to argue about it, my professor said "No, it's proven. I literally just proved this. You don't get to disagree unless you can find a counterexample, and I guarantee you can't. See me after class." Someone needs to drill that line into this guy's head.

[–]thisisbasil 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Sometimes they have a small kernel and just the person is too dull to get it. No clue what hes getting at here.

[–]BenJammin007 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Being a social construct isn't even a bad thing. We need math for a reason.

[–]somesexyguy 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

2+2 =4 is a social construct? What the duck?

[–]goatsedotcx 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

In which OP posts the wrong guy

[–]tragicmutant 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Its fucking MATHS not MATH

[–]EsquireGunslinger 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

OP blocked the karma

2/10, subjectively of course.

[–]evil_bushy 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

There are quite likely to come up with neither, and use something else.

[–]Rocktone 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

"Don't downvote me. Downvote your own ignorance"

LOL

[–]Ser_Rodrick_Cassel 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

I think that's an interesting question. do we discover math, or do we build it?

[–]mothzilla 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

I think it would be smarter to say our understanding of maths is often shaped by social constructs. Maybe that's what he was trying to say. Let's pretend it was.

[–]hillary511 -2ポイント-1ポイント  (1子コメント)

One of my really good friends from growing up is a math PhD student. He saw what I studied (sociology) and told me he was happy his discipline was closer to objective truth. I tried to explain to him that math is, in many ways, a social construct and he got incredibly angry at me. Like didn't talk to me for hours. Could have ended our friendship.

[–]LithiumEnergy 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Sometimes I think people who think like this are better left to their own devices - if they are so religious about it, they'll probably be more determined to master it and become scientists and stuff, which we need.

[–]LithiumEnergy -1ポイント0ポイント  (0子コメント)

Jokes on you, he's completely right. It's an assumption that the Universe follows some logical set of rules. Besides, scientific models based purely in math are wrong all the time. We must observe the Universe as well.

[–]diphiminaids -1ポイント0ポイント  (0子コメント)

Math is definitely a construct