I Thought Today Might Be Less Stupid Than Yesterday. Sadly, No.

 

Some high school students and Louisiana saw another student draw a square root symbol as part of a math problem. Thinking it resembled a gun, they flew into a panic and called police. Police went to the math student’s home and searched it. I am not making this up.

My actual favorite part of this story is how the reporter felt it necessary to explain, “the symbol, which represents a number that when multiplied by itself equals another number.”

You’ll be relieved to know the police found nothing more threatening than algebra homework. The student may will still face disciplinary action at the school though.

Oh, and some idiots in the Seattle area freaked out and called the media to report that a neighbor was flying a Confederate flag. It was the flag of Norway. I only wish I were making that up.

But there is also good news.

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  1. TheSockMonkey Inactive
    TheSockMonkey
    @TheSockMonkey

    Victor Tango Kilo: My actual favorite part of this story is how the reporter felt it necessary to explain, “the symbol, which represents a number that when multiplied by itself equals another number.”

    #metoo

    • #1
  2. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Perhaps Congress should restrict the age at which square roots are calculated. And put a complete ban on the civilian use of cube roots.

    • #2
  3. Ekosj Member
    Ekosj
    @Ekosj

    They never say just what the kid’s comment was that “could sound like a threat when taken out of context”

    I have 20 bucks that says when someone said the symbol looked like a gun the kid quipped something about “a dangerous radical”

     

     

    • #3
  4. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Ekosj (View Comment):
    They never say just what the kid’s comment was that “could sound like a threat when taken out of context”

    I have 20 bucks that says when someone said the symbol looked like a gun the kid quipped something about “a dangerous radical”

    I was just about to quote @IowaHawkBlog:  “Radical, man”

    • #4
  5. JustmeinAZ Member
    JustmeinAZ
    @JustmeinAZ

    I give up.

    • #5
  6. The Great Adventure! Inactive
    The Great Adventure!
    @TheGreatAdventure

    Just when I thought nobody could top Portland in the BSC category, Seattle has to go and up the ante.

    • #6
  7. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    • #7
  8. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    The Reticulator (View Comment):
    Perhaps Congress should restrict the age at which square roots are calculated. And put a complete ban on the civilian use of cube roots.

    I mean, honestly, does anyone really need a cube root?  If we can save even one life, the sensible thing is just to make sure that they’re only ever used by trained professionals.  It’s all about the children.

    • #8
  9. Richard Easton Coolidge
    Richard Easton
    @RichardEaston

    I liked the story where they wanted to keep the medical records of animals in SF(?) zoo secret to guard the animals’ privacy.

    • #9
  10. She Member
    She
    @She

    I’m cheering for the cow!  Who is probably the smartest sentient being in all three of these reports.  Truly, I despair, and fear I have lived too long.

    • #10
  11. James Gawron Inactive
    James Gawron
    @JamesGawron

    VTK,

    So our high school students have been infantilized down to this. Ignorant of the simple obvious explanations they should have been well aware of and quick to go for the most hysterical response, they screamed wolf and there was no wolf.

    Just another day in the neighborhood.

    Regards,

    Jim

    • #11
  12. TheSockMonkey Inactive
    TheSockMonkey
    @TheSockMonkey

    If you read the article in the OP, the picture changes a bit.

    http://www.miamiherald.com/article201604224.html

    After several students made comments along those lines, another student said something the sheriff’s office said could have sounded like a threat out of context.

    It doesn’t sound like someone called the police because they saw a scary pop tart square root symbol. It sounds like someone made a joke about shooting up the place. Probably still an over-reaction, but we don’t know what really happened.

    • #12
  13. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Our society is too stupid to survive.  We should just shut it down now.

     

    • #13
  14. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Let’s start from first principles:

    A square root symbol looks nothing like a gun…

    • #14
  15. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    Your title and story are so hilarious! That is the laugh of the day! Main Feed needs it!

    • #15
  16. Doctor Robert Member
    Doctor Robert
    @DoctorRobert

    Victor Tango Kilo: Police went to the math student’s home and searched it

    Whence did they get a warrant?

    • #16
  17. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    Victor Tango Kilo: Police went to the math student’s home and searched it

    Whence did they get a warrant?

    Now THAT is a good question…

    • #17
  18. Misthiocracy, Joke Pending Member
    Misthiocracy, Joke Pending
    @Misthiocracy

    Victor Tango Kilo: Oh, and some idiots in the Seattle area freaked out and called the media to report that a neighbor was flying a Confederate flag. It was the flag of Norway. I only wish I were making that up.

    I have relatives on the Isle of Man, and I have a Manx flag that I’d love to display publicly, but of course I know I cannot do that.

    • When making decisions, one must always consider the feelings of others.
    • Those who are governed by their feelings rather than by reason are fools.
    • Therefore, when making decisions, one must always cater to fools.

    Q.E.D.

    • #18
  19. Matt Bartle Member
    Matt Bartle
    @MattBartle

    TheSockMonkey (View Comment):
    If you read the article in the OP, the picture changes a bit.

    http://www.miamiherald.com/article201604224.html

    After several students made comments along those lines, another student said something the sheriff’s office said could have sounded like a threat out of context.

    It doesn’t sound like someone called the police because they saw a scary pop tart square root symbol. It sounds like someone made a joke about shooting up the place. Probably still an over-reaction, but we don’t know what really happened.

    I wonder what he said. Maybe “I could use that to eliminate all the squares.”

    • #19
  20. She Member
    She
    @She

    The Eye of Sauron has moved on, to the German figure skater who had the insensitivity and indecency to skate her program to music from Schindler’s List.

    Never mind that the music has been a staple for programs at national and international competitions for years.  This time, something called Nancy Armour, who seems to be a USA Today columnist, must have seen the caption at the start of the program, and Tweeted, “NO ONE SHOULD BE SKATING TO SCHINDLER’S LIST!!!!!!!” (All caps, and seven exclamation points, in the original.)

    (I’m assuming that she must have read the caption (doing her the courtesy of believing she can read), because I find it highly unlikely she’d recognize the music).

    And she’s apparently missed the point of the movie.

    And the political statement that a skater (if anything other than the thought that “this is a nice piece of skating music that many, including a world and Olympic champion have skated to over the years,” had even crossed her mind), might be making in skating to music from the much admired and awarded film that honored Oskar Schindler.

    This set off the Daily Outrage Machine, and I guess social media is in an uproar.

    • #20
  21. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    See, this is why I have the heart of a technocrat. I know most people are far dumber than I am, and if they would just do as I say, the world would work better.

    However, since I know that I am not going to be on top, I don’t want some jerk like me telling *me* what to do. Thus we are stuck with letting these morons have a say.

    • #21
  22. Richard Easton Coolidge
    Richard Easton
    @RichardEaston

    She (View Comment):
    The Eye of Sauron has moved on, to the German figure skater who had the insensitivity and indecency to skate her program to music from Schindler’s List.

    Never mind that the music has been a staple for programs at national and international competitions for years. This time, something called Nancy Armour, who seems to be a USA Today columnist, must have seen the caption at the start of the program, and Tweeted, “NO ONE SHOULD BE SKATING TO SCHINDLER’S LIST!!!!!!!” (All caps, and seven exclamation points, in the original.)

    (I’m assuming that she must have read the caption (doing her the courtesy of believing she can read), because I find it highly unlikely she’d recognize the music).

    And she’s apparently missed the point of the movie.

    And the political statement that a skater (if anything other than the thought that “this is a nice piece of skating music that many, including a world and Olympic champion have skated to over the years,” had even crossed her mind), might be making in skating to music from the much admired and awarded film that honored Oskar Schindler.

    This set off the Daily Outrage Machine, and I guess social media is in an uproar.

    Meanwhile the MSM has been going gaga over the representatives of the brutal regime of N. Korea.

    • #22
  23. Victor Tango Kilo Member
    Victor Tango Kilo
    @VtheK

    I read in an update at the Washington Times that the school is considering expulsion for the kid who drew the square root symbol. No, I’m not kidding.

    • #23
  24. Richard Easton Coolidge
    Richard Easton
    @RichardEaston

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    Victor Tango Kilo: Police went to the math student’s home and searched it

    Whence did they get a warrant?

    Now THAT is a good question…

    Maybe the FISA judges were working overtime.

    • #24
  25. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    Like^2.

    • #25
  26. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Zero tolerance for reckless deriving.

    • #26
  27. Fritz Coolidge
    Fritz
    @Fritz

    Methinks the students are getting ahead of the curriculum  — they are already getting into realm of the “imaginary.”

    • #27
  28. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    Then can the dreaded ‘±’ be far behind?

    • #28
  29. JustmeinAZ Member
    JustmeinAZ
    @JustmeinAZ

    TBA (View Comment):
    Zero tolerance for reckless deriving.

    Oh, that is terrible!

    • #29
  30. RyanFalcone Member
    RyanFalcone
    @RyanFalcone

    In fairness, calculus teachers are all terrorists and should be treated as such.

    • #30
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