BBC: The fear of numbers

Neil, would you describe yourself as 'numbers person'?

If you mean, am I someone who understands numbers is good as using them and interpreting data, then no!

OK, so, maybe like me, you weren't good at maths at school?

No, I wasn't. Algebra, geometry, time tables- it was all very confusing. 

We're not alone, Neil, but the fear of numbers might just be in our heads, and might have enough number knowledge to get by with. That's what we'll be exploring in this programme while looking at some relevant vocabulary. But, sorry, Neil, I'm going to start with a maths question! It's thought the largest number in the world is called a googol. It's written a 1 and how many zeros? Is it...  10의 100제곱

a) a hundred zeros     b) a thousand zeros   or c) ten thousand zeros?

I'll guess then thousand zeros. 

OK. I'll reveal the answer later on. But let's talk more about the fear of numbers now. Of course, numbers are important in our lives, but one bad experience at school can put us off them for life. 'Put off' means make someone dislike something. 

What put me off maths was it was not only complicated, but very theoretical- and not very paractical- useful for real-life situations. And the problem nowis, it's easy to be fooled by fancy figures that we get told about. 

This is something The Way Factor programme on BBC World Service has been exploring. They spoke to Charles Seife, who's an author and professor at New York University, who explained why we are at the mercy of people who throw numbers at us...

Because we are primed not to question numbers, certain people have learned that numbers are perhaps the most powerful tools for deception... advertisers, marketers, politicians, who try to convicnce the public through spurious oratory- have learned that the one thing they can't get challenged on is numbers or challenges are ineffective. 

Interesting words from Charles Seife there. He explains that numbers might be a powerful tool for deceiving people. Many of us are primed- so, told to behave in a certain situation and in a certain way- not to question numbers, accept them as fact. (behave: 행동하다)

Yes, and this is dangerous. So, when politicians, for example, do good and effective public speaking- known as oratory- the information they give could be spuriou- that means false, not correct or inaccurate. But numbers are more persuasive- they make you believe something is true. 

So, unless you're confident with numbers, you're unlikely to challenge the facts and figures that you are given. So, Sam, if I said to you ten percent of the ten million people who eat meal have a twenty percent chance of being five percent overweight- would you challenge that?

I'd have to go away and work that out! As I said, Neil, I'm not a numbers person. Even talking about numbers makes me anxious. 

Well, interestingly, The Way Factor programme, explained that girls are more anxious about learning maths, but even if they feel more nervous about maths, they aren't any worse with numbers than their more confident classmates. It's just the fear that's stopping you!

Well, maybe, but one bad experience can knock our confidence and ability to use maths. 

Take comfort from Paula Miles, who teaches statistics to psychology students at St. Andrews University. She told The Way Factor that she thinks there's no such thing as 'a numberss person'...

There is no such thing as someone who is a 'number person' or not. If we're taught in the right way, then I think we all have the potential to be a numbers person. I'm not saying we're all going to grow up to be mathematicians, but we're all going to get to a point where we have the basic numeracy skills that we need to be able to cope in our environment...

I feel a little better now! We all have the possibility within us- or potential- to be a numbers person. 

Yes. I think it's about survival. We want to develop numeracy- basic mathematical skills- to use numbers in a particular situation that we are in. We might not be a genius like Einstein, but we know enough to work things out. 

I wonder if you worked out the answer to my question correctly, Neil? Earlier, I asked about what's thought to be the largest number in the world- called a googol. How many zeros does it have? A hundred zeros, a thousand zeros, or ten thousand zeros?

I said ten thousand zeros. 

Sorry, Neil. A googol is ten to the 100th powr- so a mere 100 zeros. 

I don't think I'll be using that number anytime soon. But I might be using some of the vocabullary we've discussed today, including a numbers person...