I find the lack of intelligence depressing

[MazdaXR]

I'm pretty sure that the maths question uses a trick of the eye to catch people out, so OP you are basically saying that someone who cannot do a magic eye lacks intelligence.
If they did actually get the maths wrong then that is only one part of what makes up a persons intelligence, hence why IQ tests are not the same as maths test.

There is more than one type of intelligence. Judging by the way you are so quick to call people morons I Imagine you have a low Emotional Intelligence

 

[thtool]

It is not a trick of the eye, everything is laid out there real simple (except the -1, but that's not the problem).

 

[matt87_50]

this isn't maths... this is reading... followed by a relatively obscure order of operation to trip people up...

for example, if you typed that into a basic calculator, the answer would be 0...

this isn't a test of intelligence...

 

[aDuck]

Agree 100% this is more about reading equations than ability with actual math.

In order to read math equations, you must know _____ (Hint: it starts with "m" ;D)
But seriously, while people dont do it mentally, I am sure you do it subliminally for the easy things. If you say you have 1 orange and 2 apples, you have 1*y+2*x. Yes its easier to do it with names, but its there.

Way to totally misread my post. To read equations you need to know math however to do math you don't necessarily need to be able to read equations...

Personally when i am doing math in my head i strip out the items entirely so its more like 1+2 and if i had 1 apple, 2 oranges and 0 strawberries i wouldn't add a zero in my head. Split hairs all you like that equation isn't about the ability to do math

...But that equation is asking how much fruit you have, not how many apples and oranges you have. I am saying when you say you have 1 orange and 2 apples, you are representing them mathematically. (1 orange and 2 apples) = (1*orange + 2*apples). You cant say (1*orange + 2*apples) = ((1*orange + 2)*apples), because that is very different. But i digress.

I stand by my point. Maths is reading equations, and reading equations is maths. Mathematically represented:
Math = (Reading Equations)
where (Reading Equations) is one term.

You will struggle to find a math concept that doesnt include equations.

 

[aDuck]

this isn't maths... this is reading... followed by a relatively obscure order of operation to trip people up...

for example, if you typed that into a basic calculator, the answer would be 0...

this isn't a test of intelligence...

It is a test of intelligence. Its just a test of intelligence in the form of DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ORDER OF OPERATIONS? It doesnt prove your total intelligence level, however.

And order of operations is what the question is testing, so please, could people stop saying this isnt maths? The question is testing people about their knowledge of maths.

 

[Haelium]

this isn't maths... this is reading... followed by a relatively obscure order of operation to trip people up...

for example, if you typed that into a basic calculator, the answer would be 0...

this isn't a test of intelligence...

It is a test of intelligence. Its just a test of intelligence in the form of DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ORDER OF OPERATIONS? It doesnt prove your total intelligence level, however.

And order of operations is what the question is testing, so please, could people stop saying this isnt maths? The question is testing people about their knowledge of maths.

You clearly don't understand the difference between knowledge and intelligence. If BOMDAS was derived from logic rather than just being made up on the spot according to convention then maybe you could say that it was intelligence. And it's not a test of maths, it's a test of current mathematical convention.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

It's sadly easy to make a mistake like that and is, in fact, the reason it is asked. It is a trick question designed specifically to catch people out who forget BODMAS, but remember that multiplying anything by zero is always zero.

It's just like the equation someone posted not long ago with some brackets thrown in.

 

[Kragg]

pretty obvious why people get this wrong
it's the cellphone calculator generation
do phones have scientific calculators yet? im kinda out of it

 

[Torrasque]

Lack of mathematical prowess is small factor in the broad range of "intelligence". Most people forget about PEMDAS when they enter the real world. Way to generalize.

no. you can't do simple day-to-day equations without this, it's such a basic and important part of math that you don't ever forget.

It's a trick question designed to trip people up. Getting it wrong does not make someone an idiot.

Its a very simple trick question designed to see how much people actually pay attention to what they are reading. Most people see the x0 at the end and assume the entire question is invalidated by it, but fail to realize that it only applies to that single 1.

Are people stupid? Of course they are, but for different reasons.
Is everyone that answered 0 a complete drooling retard? Nope.

I could ask a basic moral question to someone who I know is intelligent and leave them confounded for hours.
Its not a matter of content with questions like these, its context.

http://guidesarchive.ign.com/guides/13960/screens/chapter1_01.jpg

 

[Jordi]

In the last couple of months we have had two topics here with hundreds of replies discussing the outcome of a simple calculation problem. I think it was 48/2*(9+3) or something. So yeah, lots of people cannot do basic calculation...

That's actually a troll meme. It deliberately uses a symbol that can be taken in two ways.

Lord Inglip says : Gynecoogy esteCe

Calm down dear....

What do you mean "it can be taken in two ways"? Multiplication and division have equal priority and should be evaluated left to right. There is no ambiguity if you know the rules. Which apparently many people don't.

 

[dancinginfernal]

If you're not paying attention, 0 makes sense. All the ones added up times 0.

But then I remembered Order of Operations. It's 7 in the morning, sue me.

 

[graverobber2]

It's facebook >.>

spend 2 hours there every day, and by the end of the week you'll be picking the first option as well

 

[fix-the-spade]

Ok, I realise facebook isn't the place to go for intelligence but seriously...

So, you're judging people's intelligence because they are unable to spot a question that exploits visual heirarchy to trick them?

Human brains are hard wired to look for patterns, we can't help it, removing one line from a repeated symbol will almost always be missed unless the viewer is looking specifically for the difference (as in, they've been warned or have prior knowledge of the test).

<spoiler=It's the same principal as this infamous test><youtube=vJG698U2Mvo>


Not a very good measure of intelligence. Perhaps I should call everyone who doesn't know how to build and repair a wheel an idiot, you rely on wheels every day of your life, it's a pretty important skill.

 

[aDuck]

this isn't maths... this is reading... followed by a relatively obscure order of operation to trip people up...

for example, if you typed that into a basic calculator, the answer would be 0...

this isn't a test of intelligence...

It is a test of intelligence. Its just a test of intelligence in the form of DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ORDER OF OPERATIONS? It doesnt prove your total intelligence level, however.

And order of operations is what the question is testing, so please, could people stop saying this isnt maths? The question is testing people about their knowledge of maths.

You clearly don't understand the difference between knowledge and intelligence. If BOMDAS was derived from logic rather than just being made up on the spot according to convention then maybe you could say that it was intelligence. And it's not a test of maths, it's a test of current mathematical convention.

Sigh... Don't know why I'm asking this, but what is the difference between current mathematical convention and maths? Because if you're splitting hairs with this, then why dont you say that all maths that we use now is current mathematical convention and shun anyone who calls it maths?

But yes, BODMAS is one of the few things in maths that isnt derived from an equation. However, how its applied (including in the OP's example) is the issue. (I wonder if it is possible to prove BODMAS...)

Extra: Knowledge is what you know about something. Intelligence is how it's applied.

 

[DracoSuave]

this isn't maths... this is reading... followed by a relatively obscure order of operation to trip people up...

for example, if you typed that into a basic calculator, the answer would be 0...

this isn't a test of intelligence...

1) Order of Operations is not obscure. I learned it in my first year of high school and it applies to everything mathematical you do from that point until you stop going to school. That's no more obscure than matters like 'How do I use a comma in a sentance?' or 'What is the capital of France?'

2) If you typed into a calculator as it is written you're not using the calculated correctly. Calculators are not a replacement for rudimentary knowledge of how to read math.

3) You're right, it isn't a test of intellegence, it's a test of education and how well it stuck. As a test of education, the fact that more people got the wrong answer than the write answer shows that basic math education hasn't stuck, which could be an indicator of societal problems in a society based on technology and advancing technology.

You can't dismiss it so easily. Also, don't answer zero next time.

 

[sora91111]

Yeah at first glance I thought 0, but then flashbacks of that damned process of equations flew back to me and I felt kind of stupid, but really let's face it this isn't a seroious math problem it's something someone with no life started thinking they were clever in making simple math an eye strain.

 

[Hamish Durie]

ahh and the average IQ drops anothere precious notch

 

[beniki]

I find casual superiority because some people don't know a specific set of rules to a totally human construct depressing...

 

[Pat8u]

Ok, I realise facebook isn't the place to go for intelligence but seriously...

This is one those vote quiz things that goes around. If you look the answer 0 is winning on almost a million. This means almost a million people since this stared, a week ago, cannot do simple maths.

What's more is this is just those on facebook who've seen this and bothered to answer. This is a seriously depressing realisation of what humanity is becoming.

Edited to remove typo in title.

But if you multiply anything by 0 don't you always get 0?

Order of operations () first, */ second and then + -
Ot: totally didn't see that minus sign

 

[Klepa]

There have been a lot of threads on this forum about this.

Many people never payed attention to math class. Really, only the people that internalized math are going to get that problem right. I don't think about "PEMDAS." In fact, I didn't even remember that there was an acronym for it unti it came up here a few weeks ago.

I hear you.

I've never been taught a "PEMDAS" or an equivalent during the 15 years of education I've endured. I'd hazard a guess that "PEMDAS" has more to do with remembering than actually learning. I'm no psychologist, though.

To me, teaching maths with "PEMDAS", is like wearing a green sock in your left foot, and a red one on your right, so you'll always remember where left and right are.

EDIT: Or indeed, if you just remember the phrase "Whenever you multiply with 0, the result is always 0". Which is what happened here..