Saturday, January 21, 2006

Why Children should be taught how to interpret Venn Diagrams

Mathematics is what we need. Not sociology. Specifically, we need Set Theory and Group Theory. Whilst this is particularly pertinent if one happens to a RDBMS designer - an occupation in which your muddled and innumerate Pedant-General dabbles - it is perhaps a little less clear why we should ALL need a thorough grounding in this noble pursuit.

Not any more it isn't:



There have been so many times when I have been talking to foreigners - especially our cousins across the pond - when I have needed this diagram. Ah well. At least we do now.

Marching Bands dispatched in the direction of Things of Interest.
Prizes will be awarded for an adaptation of this that successfully includes Gibraltar, Monserrat, the EU, EFTA and NATO.

UPDATE: A very warm welcome to visitors from Harry's Place. I was wondering where all the extra traffic was coming from. (And you may safely ignore my categorisation of HP under the heading "Other Riff Raff and Trouble Makers". At least you are in good company there...)

4 comments:

dearieme said...

Only if you add Man can you then answer "From which point in the British Isles can you see 6 countries?"

Akaky said...

So let me see if I've got this straight: England and Ireland are the same place, and they were both fighting to get out of the United Kingdom, except for the Wales part, which is in the British Isles but not in the seats because their backsides are too big for them. Northern Ireland is in the United Kingdom but not in Ireland, and Scotland definitely is in Great Britain and not the United Kingdom. Is that right?

potentilla said...

How about the Channel Islands?

I have long thought that the solution to the Troubles is for England to secede frfom the UK. I don't advocate that so much now I live in Scotland.

The Pedant-General said...

Potentilla,

Welcome to Infinitives Unsplit. I can't even pretend to have the volumes your site boasts: honoured to have you as a visitor.

I am also reminded of the spoof letter re independence for the Welsh, which went something along the lines of:

"Dear Sir,

It is a disgrace that the Welsh do not enjoy independence from the English. I recommend that they have their own parliament, government, financial autonomy and preferably a stout wall around them to keep them away from the rest of us....

Yours etc.
Brigadier-General Sir Roughly Stringemup"

;-)