Knowing how precisely a high school freshman can estimate the number of objects in a group gives you a good idea how well he has done in math as far back as kindergarten. Does this mean that math ability is genetic? And remember, girls do just as well in math as boys do!
Researcher said Justin Halberda says, “We discovered that a child?s ability to quickly estimate how many things are in a group significantly correlates with that child?s performance in school math for every single year, reaching all the way back to when he or she was in kindergarten.”
Halberda says, “Though people often think of mathematics as a pinnacle intellectual achievement of humankind, research reveals that some intuition about numbers, counting and mathematical ability is basic to almost all animals. For example, creatures that gather or hunt for food keep track of the approximate number of food items they procure in order to return to the places where they get the most sustenance. Humans share this very basic ?number sense,? allowing them, at a glance, to estimate the number of people in a subway car or bus.”
Art credit: freeimages.co.uk
We can’t all do advanced math, but we can all count and what most of us are counting lately is how empty our wallets are, due to the current recession. But remember, that goes for Unknowncountry too?remember, just because our wonderful radio shows are free, that doesn’t mean they don?t cost US a lot of money! You can keep us going for less than a latte a WEEK: Less than $12 gets you a 3-month subscription. So what are you waiting for? Subscribe today! And if you have anything left over at the end of the month, please consider clicking on the ?donate? tab on our homepage too.
NOTE: This news story, previously published on our old site, will have any links removed.
Subscribers, to watch the subscriber version of the video, first log in then click on Dreamland Subscriber-Only Video Podcast link.