After reading chapter 1 of Innumeracy, please respond to the following prompt.
John Allen Paulos uses a made up word "Innumeracy" in this chapter. In your own words, explain what this word means. Then, find an example of "innumeracy" from chapter 1 and explain why it is an example of innumeracy. Your response should be one complete paragraph in length.
Due Tues. 3/3
NOW DUE: Wed. 3/4
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Friday, February 27, 2009
Chapter 1
Posted by Mr. Wille at 7:33 AM
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An example of innumeracy from Chapter 1 is actually on the author's behalf and that of the scientific consultant from M.I.T. "How long, he asks, would it take dump trucks to cart away an isolated mountain, say Japan's Mount Fuji, to ground level?" Right away, I asked: "How many trucks?" Then, they speculated: "Assume trucks come every fifteen minutes, twenty-four hours a day, are instantaneously filled with mountain dirt and rock, and leave without getting in each other's way." I thought that because the trucks are filled instantaneously, and there was no specific number of trucks specified, this mountain would be gone on the first visit from the army of dump trucks. The only question left: Do the dump trucks start at the mountain or do they take fifteen minutes to arrive? This is what determines the answer, so there was not enough information presented to make a conclusion. The answer is logically: The mountain would be gone in an instant, or The mountain would be gone in fifteen minutes. This was an example, ironically, of the innumeracy of the author, who is supposedly a mathematician.
Keith M.
Innumeracy is the inability to handle numbers and probability. An example of innumeracy in chapter one of the book is the computer scientist Douglas Hofstadter claiming that there are more than 3 Billion states that the Rubik's Cube could attain. Now while this is true and today's society would accept that claim, John Paulos provides us with more examples of this that would make the "more than..." statement unfavorable, such as the Lincoln Tunnnel saying the population of New York is more than 6 or McDonald's announcing they've sold more than 120 hambugers. John Paulos states that these understatements are common and spreading forms of innnumeracy because they are not proper for a 'technologically based society'.
BrooksR
Innumeracy is the incapacity, reluctance, or aversion of mathematics that may result either from a lack of understanding of mathematics, or a difficulty in learning it. Innumeracy is present whenever there is an unfounded mathematical belief or an erroneous computation. In John Paulos’ book on innumeracy, many examples are provided that clearly delineate certain levels of innumeracy. For instance, the average American will, when asked about terrorism, respond that they are terrified because a terrorist attack could theoretically take place anywhere at anytime. However, what exists in theory does not necessarily exist in practicality. Every time a person sets his foot on a street, he is in danger of becoming the 1 in 5300 to be run over by a car. So realistically, it is more likely that a car will hit someone than a terrorist will bomb that same person. Yet, the average person is not aware of this. They still are terrified that they will be caught in a terrorist explosion because they lack understanding. And as Paulos very nicely says: this behavior will not do “in a society where genetic engineering, laser technology and microchip circuits are daily adding to our understanding of the world.
Shomir U.
Innumeracy means having trouble with numbers
and probability. In chapter 1, two aristocrats compete to see who can come up with a bigger number. One of the aristocrats proposes three as his number while the proposer of the game, not able to think of a number bigger than 3, admits defeat. In this example a person who cannot think of a number bigger than three is obviously having trouble understanding numbers. There is an infinite amount of numbers bigger than 3 and a person who cannot grasp that concept certainly meets the requirements of being innumerate. This is a great example of innumeracy in society because numbers are infinite and it can be hard to grasp the properties these numbers retain. Not only that, but the fact that numbers are infinite and that no matter what number will be proposed, there will always be a number bigger than it.
Sibely A.
Innumeracy is the mathematical equivalent of illiteracy, which is the unfamiliarity with words and letters; therefore innumeracy would be the unfamiliarity with mathematical concepts and numbers. Examples of this unfamiliarity are found scattered throughout the first chapter, sometimes making the reader laugh, other times affecting them in a negative way (but that's not relevant at the moment). A contemporary instance of underestimating the power of probability is the possibility of contracting AIDS from heterosexual intercourse. The chance of contracting it after one episode is one in 500 (without protection), which already seems to be a pretty small chance (or perhaps I’m thinking like an innumerate and underestimating this probability). Then Paulos goes on to say that the probability of not contracting it is 499/500, therefore, theoretically, assuming that the risks of surviving unaffected are independent, there is a 50% chance of contracting AIDS by having unsafe heterosexual intercourse every day with someone infected. Now, what about protected sex? The chance of getting infected then is about one in five thousand, already 10 times less likely than the neglection of a condom. Given the scenario that someone has unprotected sex every day for 10 years with an infected person, the chances of survival are 50%. Nevertheless, you're more likely to get hit by a car on your way home than contract AIDS by having unprotected or protected sex with someone infected (which happen to be one of five million and one in fifty million, respectively, whereas the possibility of getting hit by a car is one in fifty three hundred). However, the innumerate is unable to process any of this, and therefore will not even bother considering any of it.
My question is: if you're completely ignorant of all the scenarios presented in the book 'Innumeracy' by John Allen Paulos, does that imply that you are innumerate? or that a condition similar to innumeracy exists within your mind, constricting your thoughts and your ability to process mathematical concepts.
Emily S.
Innumercy is defined in the book as the mathematical version of "illiteracy". Innumeracy is the often overlooked inability to understand, use, and deal with notations of numbers and chance. One example that the author gave to us to explain how common innumercay is, would be how the average American would react to the question "Are your afraid of being the victim of a terrorist attack. Although the actual chance of this being so is 1 in 1.6 million, many Americans would either disregard this statistic or turn an ignorant cheek to it and say "Yes, but what is you are that one?". This book has actually opened my eyes to the innumeracy of this country, but I also believe that innumeracy is everywhere, not just America. Another thing, I was surprised to find that innumeracy and innumerate can be found in the dictionary as 'marked by an ignorance of mathematics and the scientific approach'. That's pretty cool if you ask me.
Innumeracy is, in extent, a play on words based on the actual term illiteracy. Just as illiteracy is the inability to read, innumeracy is the inability to properly understand the concept of math and numbers. A perfect example of this occurrence is in the fear many people have of traveling overseas, for perhaps they may be killed in a terrorist attack, while those same people can drive their car without fear of crashing. In fact, the chances of dying in a car accident are one in 5,300, whereas the chances of being attacked by terrorists is one 1.6 million. The innumerate will respond to this information (usually) with the idea that that one might just be him/her, implying that the person in question is too lazy or unintelligent to consider the vast difference between the two numbers and determine what it means for them. This lack of understanding for numbers is the exact definition of the issue John Allen Paulos calls innumeracy.
–Louis L.
Tony L.
Innumeracy , interperted by myself, means the failure to comprehend the basics of numbers and statistics. The first paragraph in the chapter expresses a fine example of innumeracy. two aristocrats are riding on a horse. one challanges the other to come up with the largest number. he says three. the proposer of the game admits defeat.Clearly three is not the largest number. numbers are infinite. they can be "as large as they want".
therefore this is how i interpret innumeracy.
Trevor L.
Innumeracy means the illiteracy of mathematics. This basically describes a person who does not want or care to do math. A person who takes math to be something that does not have to be learned, but is an option that does not have enough pros to be considered worthwhile. One example from the text of innumeracy was on page 10 when he had the three different answers from the doctor about the same procedure. Answer a. a one in a million chance is a 99.9999% chance, or the chance effectiveness of drugs given to the public while answer b. says the procedure was 99% safe and c. usually went quite well. Answer a. is 99.9999% while answer b. is 99% and c. is pretty much any answer of 50%. Those are totally different numbers given in pretty much the same sentence about one procedure. Anybody would be able to spot this if they learned middle school pre-algebra. This just goes to show why math can be important in making decisions on whether to do a procedure or anything with percentages and chance.
Inummeracy, to me, i believe is the inability to comprehend mathematical questions. It is the equivalent of being illiterate in reading and writing. An example from the book is stated on pages 7 and 8 "A summer visitor enters a hardware store in Maine and buys a large number of expensive things. The skeptical reticent owner doesn't say a word as he adds the bill on the cash register......" THe bill comes out to be 1,528.47. THe visitor asks the cashier if it is the right amount and cashier replies just barely. This goes to show how an "innumerate" person can get conned out of money.if not careful.
Rondelle B.
Innumeracy is the ignorance for correct mathematics. If you don't know the real answer you come up with some fake incorrect version that you believe is true. From the bottom of page 10 to the top of page 11, John talks about innumercy between doctors. He shows how, because the doctor didn't know the real statistics of the operation, he just made up his own statistics to therefore make the operation sound safe. In conclusion, the lack of knowledge in the math area, and false predictions, will lead a person into a bad case of "Innumeracy".
In the opening chapter of Innumeracy the author uses the word innumeracy multiple times. But what does Innumeracy mean? Innumeracy means a value that the general public has an inaccurate idea of its numerical value. According to the author, the amount of innumeracys in society are staggering. An example of an innumeracy is that many Americans who don't know that the approximate amount of human deaths in the world is 250,000. This is an innumeracy because it shows a gap in what should be common knowledge. Such figures as these are disturbing and depressing to the author.
Amanda Z.
Innumeracy can be described as one’s lack of ability to reason with numbers and other mathematical methods and concepts for they are marked by an ignorance of mathematics and the scientific approach. In John Paulos’ book Innumeracy: Mathematical Literacy and its Consequences, paulos provides many examples of this unfamiliarity. For instance, in chapter one, Paulos elucidates a common error made by weather forecasters.“There's a familiar gaffe committed by a forecaster who tells us that there is a 50% chance of rain on Saturday, a 50% chance of rain on Sunday, and therefore a 100% chance of rain over the weekend.” However, assuming the events are independent, the probability of rain during the weekend would be 75% because there is in fact another 50% chance on both days that it may not rain. In order to calculate this one would first need to find the probability that it rains on both days, plus the probability that it rains on only Saturday, plus the probability that it rains on only Sunday- therefore its (.5)(.5)+ (.5)(.5)+ (.5)(.5)= .75. Far more is at stake, however, than a few "mangled" forecasts. Paulos blames
innumeracy for a number of disturbing trendsPaulos demonstrates how mathematical thinking might have enhanced the public's understanding of the news or at least avoided egregious error and simplistic conclusion. "Mathematics," he reminds us, "is not primarily a matter of plugging numbers into formulas and performing rote computations. It is a way of thinking and questioning that may be unfamiliar to many of us, but is available to almost all of us."
Monika C.
Innumeracy is ones incapability of understanding the very basic components of life due to their illiteracy in the mathematics field. The book “Innumeracy; Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences,” written by John Allen Paulos’ describes the public’s ignorance of mathematical importance in regard to most basic structures in life. One example of innumeracy is on page 4, Paulos’ writes“TV weathercaster announced that there was a 50 percent chance for rain for Saturday and a 50 percent chance of rain for Sunday, and concluded that there was therefore a 100 percent chance of rain that weekend.” The weatherman is common to most people who watch the morning news, and he is understood to be knowledgeable in order to be capable of interpreting the weather and reaching his working position. However how is this educated man incapable of correctly completing a simple mathematical problem? Innumeracy is the answer. It is because he did not give that extra second to realize it is 75 percent. That is the problem, most people have that capability of understanding, using that intellectuality to think and question, but they don’t do it. Instead they take the easier way out, go around it and forget it.
Aleksandar P.
Innumeracy is a the mathematical version of illiteracy but slightly different. It is when a person does not have the capability to understand real world mathematics, such as statistics or probability, or an ignorance of these two. Just because the person may be ignorant of these, it does not mean that they cannot do math. That is how innumeracy is different from illiteracy. An example of Innumeracy from the book is found on the bottom on page 8 where a student claims "that hair just doesn't grow in miles per hour." A reason for why this is innumeracy is that hair may grow at an extremely slow rate, such as inches per year, it doesn't mean that this rate can't be measured or converted into MPH.
Candy L.
Innumeracy is similar to illiteracy,but in a mathmatical way. The word basically means “not knowing about the numbers”. In this book the author John Allen Paulos gave us lots of facts about the "numbers". What caught my eyes is the part about annual death rates in United States: 1/68000 of choking to death, 1/75000 of dying in a bicycle crash, 1/20000 of drowning, and 1/5300 of dying in a car crash. I'm very suprised about the last one, 1/5300 is not a small probability considering the number of people in United States.But we didn't even consider car accidents a big issue yet. I think these numbers and statistics connect us to the world and gives us more sense of what is going on, and people should be more aware of it. I just started to realize how "innumerate" I am because of this book.
Sergio G.
Innumeracy is, like illiteracy, the inability to comprehend a means of communication, but instead of being unable to comprehend writing or lacking the ability to form sentences, as an Illiterate person would, an Innumerate cannot fathom some properties of numbers, nor can he/she understand overly large, or small, numbers.
One example of an Innumerate playing around with numbers he can't understand is the tale of Gargantua's childhood, presumably by François Rabelais. It tells of an infant Gargantua drinking the milk of 17, 913 cows. "As a young student he traveled to Paris on a mare that was as large as six elephants, and hung the bells of Notre Dame on the mare's neck as jingles." If a baby needed so much milk, from nearly 18,000 1,000-pound cows, a mare of only six elephants' size would have no hope of carrying him as a slightly older boy. Notre Dame's bells are also rather large, each bigger than a small elephant's leg, which would make it rather difficult for Gargantua's ride to carry all 5 on its neck.
"Combed the cannonballs from his hair with a 900-foot-long rake" is downright ludicrous. 900 feet is the size of a WW2-era Aircraft Carrier. No animal, at least none smaller than a mountain, could ever hope to carry something that can comb their hair with something so enormous, and no ground could hope to hold them up.
This is an unexcuseable example of Innumeracy, something that could ruin society should it continue to this extent.
JeffreyL-
Innumeracy is a lack of ability to fully comprehend numbers and math. The book “Innumeracy; Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences,” written John Allen Paulos explains how people turn their backs on mathematics and take it for granted. In chapter 1 page 7, two aristocrats compete to see who can come up with a bigger number. One of the aristocrats proposes three as his number while the proposer of the game, not able to think of a number bigger than 3, admits defeat. This puzzels me because there are plenty of numbers greater than 3. However, the person who started this game just sits and is confused. In the end he just accepts defeat. This is awkward because there are plenty of numbers bigger than 3 and he could have just said any one of those and he would have won the game. This gives me the idea that the person who started the game is possibly innumerate because if anyone else played that game, it would continue on forever and not stop at such a low number as 3.unfamiliar with mathematical concepts and methods; unable to use mathematics; not numerate. The dictionary gives the definition-unfamiliar with mathematical concepts and methods; unable to use mathematics; not numerate. If the man was innumerate, he would have been unable to use mathematics to figure out the answer to a simple situation such as a number greater than 3.
Sadichchha A.
Innumeracy is like illiteracy but with math. I think its basiccaly about not being able to make correct estimations and being able to guess how much water does an average person drink per year. An example of this would be when they talked about the doctors not being able to guess the probability of the patients surviving or dying. They were "way off" and that is pretty weird since doctors like that are just making assumptions.
Clara S.
"Innumeracy" describes a person's lack of knowledge for numbers and their proper use. For example, when John Allen Paulos explains how each breath we take contains some of the same molecules Julius Ceaser exhaled in his last breath, I felt very innumerate. I was forced to reread that passage multiple times before finally understanding what Paulos was trying to prove. This struggle helped me realize how innumeracy is inescapable, in fact, it's very easy to find.
Nada G.
Just as there are illiterate people, there are also innumerate people. A lot of people in this world overlook the concept of numbers; those people are called innumerate people. John Allen Paulos brings to us many cases of innumerate people in his book; one such case is the case of the two aristocrats: “Two aristocrats are out horseback riding and one challenges the other to see which can come up with the larger number. The second agrees to the contest, concentrates for a few minutes, and proudly announces, “Three.” The proposer of the game is quiet for half an hour, then finally shrugs and concedes defeat” (page 7). This is significant because the fact that three is such a low number and the aristocrat can’t think of anything higher than it proves to you how some people really do neglect the concept of numbers. One thing that I found was really funny is how Paulos compares innumerate people to normal people. For example: one says there is one chance in 75,000 of dying in a bicycle crash, a normal person would be fine with that, but an innumerate person would say something like this: “Yes, but what if you’re that one,” then nod knowingly as if they’ve demolished your argument” (page 9). So you see, innumerate people are basically those who overlook numbers and tend to see them as irrelevant.
Benjamin G.
John Allen Paulos' book Innumeracy talks about how otherwise very intelligent people will completely underestimate and misunderstand mathematics. He explains how many people assume all "large" numbers (millions, billions and trillions) are somewhat similar, and even interchangeable. Paulos gives some examples of how different these large quantities really are; for example, in a conversation he had with a doctor, the doctor stated that a certain operation had "a one-chance-in-a-million risk associated with it; was 99 percent safe; and usually went quite well." There is a huge disparity between the first two of these statistics, and the third means nothing; it is too vague, and means that the operation could go wrong .01% of the time, 5% of the time, 10%, etc. This goes to show people, who normally are very intelligent, can be completely ignorant (or "innumerate") when it comes to the usage of numbers.
to me the word innumeracy basically is the meaning that the autohor to the general population of people who he believes do not really pay attention to the consequences of their words when they speak about numbers. thus making those people unable to fully grasp the true power of numbers.
one specific example that he mentioned was the example of the amount of blood that most likely exist in the world. he start of by calculating the amount of blood that would most likely be the total of blood in the world, next he figures out that the the length witdh and the hieght that has a volume that will hold all the blood. these seems alright thinking math wise. The he completely twists the whole story by adding the fact that he can fit the bube of blood in central park. this seems impossible to me, and this what John Allen Paulos meant by innumerate. We do do not concieve facts about numbers that seem to be ridiculous as true statements. It is something that we as humans do by nature.
To me, the word innumeracy, (as explained in John Allen Paulo's book "Innumeracy")means to not be able to interpret big numbers as what they are, similar to being illiterate with words and letters. For example, Two aristocrats when horseback riding and one challenged the other to a contest of thinking of a number higher than the previous. The second agrees, and after a while, proudly announces three. The first aristocrat ponders it for a while, and then accepts defeat. This is amusing and slightly akward because three is a very basic number, and the lack of ability to think of a higher number is very innumerate, or not being able to interpret numbers correctly or at all. This also comes to prove that anybody can be innumerate, even high-ranking aristrocrats, not just third class citizens or people who lack a proper education.
Kelly Y.
The word innumeracy to me means not being able to deal with math or numbers. It is like illiterate, not being able to read or write. An example of innumeracy in the book would be the two aristocrats trying to come up with the bigger number. The first one said 3 and the other one gave in and agreed that 3 is the largest number. It is innumerate to say and agree that 3 is the largest they can think of. That is because you can always add 1 to the previous number to make it bigger.
Grissel G.
Innumeracy is the inaptitude of a person to comprehend numbers and what they mean, which can sometimes be more powerful than at first presumed. Numbers can be used to prove as well as disprove ideas, such as the disproof of Noah’s Ark John Allen Paulos gave on pages 16 and 17. On pages 10 and 11, there is an account of Drs. Kronlunds and Phillips, who show their innumeracy when they stated that a procedure in contemplation, “(a) had a one-chance-in-a-million risk associated with it;(b) was 99 percent safe; and (c) usually went quiet well.” It is clear what the source of Paulos’s frustration is, the statements made by the doctors are completely contradicting to one another and imply that all large numbers are quite similar. Paulos then goes on to support his perception of the doctors as being innumerate, by remarking on their need to have, “at least eleven people in the waiting room if they’re to avoid being idle”. In fact, it does not take any people in the waiting room for a doctor to avoid being idle, as long as they have a patient with them.
Damaris F.
John Allen Paulos uses a made up word "Innumeracy" in this chapter. In my opinion, being innumerant is the act of being ignorant to the important role numbers play in the understanding of our world today. It's the inability to deal comfortably with the fundamental notions of number and chance.
Innumerate people are so ignorant, they tend to believe that they are that "one" in millions when it comes to the chance of a mishap occuring. They don't take into account how big or small numbers can be, and are misled by their own experiences. Thus, they may spend hours in their bedroom, afraid to take the risk of living a normal life outside, or so Paulos makes it seem.
Take the examples on page nine. Skepticals may hesitate when choosing transportation. I myself, had moments of innumeracy when I had thought the presence of terrorists in this country was a serious issue. But in reality, there not. Surprisingly, there's a higher risk you'll meet a miserable fate in an automobile accident, then you will face to face with a terrorist hijacking your plane! 45,000 people are killed annually on American roads- approximately equal in number to all American dead in the Vietnam War. Compare this to only seventeen Americans killed by terrorists in 1985 that year- a one in 1.6 million of becoming a victim! Of course, there are risks that you might die when you are choking to death, in a bicycle crash, drowning, or even in a car crash. But does this mean you got to stop doing these activities? No!! You have to risk it and live it. But an immumerate person wouldn't because they have no sense of numbers. And in my opinion, this is the major difference between an innumerate person and a person that understand their calculations.
Craig H.
Innumeracy can be interpreted in many different ways most people think it is the inability to do math, similar to being illiterate. However, John Paulos takes that definition and tweaks it. In his book he explores society's ignorance and avoidance of most things related to math. John Paulos gives an example of this when he asks a student of his how fast does hair grow in miles per hour. The student replies that hair does not grow in miles per hour. Hr explains how innumeracy leads to irrational fears, the majority of people are ignorant to the fact that chance of getting in a terrorist attack is one in 1.6 million while you have a one in 5,300 hundred chance of getting in a car crash. But, what interested me most is the the fact that John Paulos pointed that even now as your reading this the innumerate people will tend to skip the number heavy paragraphs, which I tended to do frequently in the first chapter. Paulos is trying to show is that innumeracy can affect the way live and is more common than you think.
Bix W.
In the opening chapter of "Innumeracy", author John Allen Paulos uses this made up word to great effect. However, to appreciate this effect, one must understand what the word innumeracy means. Innumeracy is the inability to use, or understand, mathematics. The author says that this is a major issue in todays society. In one of the examples he gives, he says that there is a seventy five thousand to one chance that one will be killed in a car crash but the innumerate person says "but what if you're that one" and thinks he's smart. That statement of stupidity is very frequently used and is a tragic example of how innumeracy pervades our culture.
John Allen Paulos invented the word innumeracy. I think innumeracy is when people don't understand the capacity of numbers. Also that they can not clearly comprehend mathematical concepts. It is compared to being illiterate. An example of innumeracy is on pages 12-15 where Paulos describes how the blood of all the humans int he world can fit into the depth of Central Park. This is something most people would not imagine so its an example of being innumerate
Nina A.
Innumeracy is a word that describes the act of not being able to comprehend numbers and mathematicks. Th author says that innumeracy is a big problem in America these days. An example of innumeracy is the very first example that the author gives. It is, "Two aristocrats are out horsebackriding and one challanges the other to see who can come up with larger number. The second aggrees o the contest, concentrates for a few minutes and proudly announces, "Three." The proposer of the game is quiet for half an hour, then finally shrugs and concedes defeat." This story shows the meaning of innumeracy because these two men in the story of innumerate for two reasons. The first reason is that they even did the contest because there is no such thing as the highest number, whatever number you say there is always a number that is higher. Also if you were to do this contest three would be a ridiculous number to choose because three is only the third highest number in all the positive numbers out of infinite amounts of numbers.
Innumeraccy is a description of the way people come to think of numbers. It's one's non-existance of the understandment of numbers.In his book, John Allen Paulos attributes the lack of number-understtandment when he make that comment about a game being play where one must think of a numbr higher than the one previously stated by the preceeding player. As the frist plaer states "three" as his number, the second gives up. This can either be that the player understand that numbers go on and on for ever which makes the game pointless or the player shows Innumeracy.
Munesh S.
Innumeraccy is a description of the way people come to think of numbers. It's one's non-existance of the understandment of numbers.In his book, John Allen Paulos attributes the lack of number-understtandment when he make that comment about a game being play where one must think of a numbr higher than the one previously stated by the preceeding player. As the frist plaer states "three" as his number, the second gives up. This can either be that the player understand that numbers go on and on for ever which makes the game pointless or the player shows Innumeracy.
Innumeracy is the equivalent of being illiterate but with math. For example, in the beginning of chapter 1, there are 2 aristocrats who play a game to see who can come up with the highest number. One said the number three and the other gave up. This shows Innumeracy through the fact that they didn't understand that there is no highest number and that this game is pointless because no matter what, there is always a higher number.
John-Corey M. said...
In Chapter1, of "Innumeracy" the author gives an introduction to his idea of 'innumeracy.' This is similar to the idea of illiteracy that humans can be unintelligent with language, reading, and words. That also humans can unintelligent with math and numbers.
March 3, 2009 4:15 PM
Evan Y.
Innumeracy is the non-understanding of real world mathematics. It does not necessarily mean that one can not do math, simply that one has trouble applying this math to real world situations. An example of innumeracy lies on page 8 when a student states "that hair just doesn't grow in miles per hour." This student is incorrect because hair grows at a speed. M/PH is just a way of measuring speed. Though inches per year may give one a better idea of how fast hair grows, hair still grows in miles per hour.
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