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Why it matters if we become innumerate

Adrienne Bernhard
Features correspondent
Getty Images (Credit: Getty Images)Getty Images
(Credit: Getty Images)

Why can’t we just let our mobiles and tablets take the strain when it comes to numbers?

Are you a numbers person?

Before you click away, horrified at the thought of pleasure-reading about maths, pause.

For most of us, basic mathematics is something we successfully use all day long, at home and at work. Calculated judgements help us handle bank s, evaluate choices in the supermarket, make estimates and spot errors. We rely on our number sense when we decorate a room, bake a cake, go out for a meal or pop down to the shops. Each of these tasks requires numeracy: an ability to understand and work with numbers in everyday life.

What happens when the majority of those people in reality aren’t actually numerate enough to understand the interest rates on their student loans? Or whether that new sofa will fit through their living room doorway"Getty Images Numeracy is how we interpret and apply our mathematical knowledge to the world around us - like baking a cake for instance (Credit: Getty Images)" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/>Getty Images
Numeracy is how we interpret and apply our mathematical knowledge to the world around us - like baking a cake for instance (Credit: Getty Images)

So, what should we do? First, resist the urge to rely on phones and tablets. Instead, do basic calculations in your head or on paper. It takes a little effort and practice, but building good habits will help you spot errors and make more educated guesses where it really counts.

Second, pay attention to context. Asking the right questions can help you sort out the difference between real science and pseudoscience. It is also worth keeping in mind that good statistics are more than just guesses: they are based on clear and reasonable definitions, accurate measures and representative samples.

Third, use computers wisely. They can save time and help you gain a conceptual understanding of more difficult quantitative tasks. They can also help double-check our procedures and enhance or accelerate our experience of problem-solving. Too often, we lack an intuitive feeling for very small or very big numbers like quantities or time spans; computers can help us understand the magnitude of a trillion-dollar budget, a one-hundred-thousand-word novel or a megaton of TNT in a country’s nuclear stockpile.

Finally, be sceptical. In order to use numbers and data, it’s important to engage with the facts – sometimes, that means pitting quantitative analysis against what we’re told is true. Without numeracy, we simply are not getting the full story.

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