1 - Numbers

Summary

Arithmetic is one of the first topics taught to elementary pupils. This is appropriate because of the prevalence of numbers in modern society and the need to have a numerate population. In particular, we often need to negotiate percentages and it is here that public understanding frequently falters. We begin with a few examples

How to get drunk and rich at the same time

The column Money angles: where else to invest? by Andrew Tobias in the May 17, 1993, issue of Time offers this advice for improving your financial worth:

Buy staples in bulk when they're on sale …. Consider a family that buys one bottle of wine each week. With the 10% discount many stores offer on wine by the case, they would be saving 10% every twelve weeks—more than 40% a year, tax free and largely risk free.

One can in fact do better; increase consumption to one case per month and save 120% over a year, thus qualifying for a 20% payback from the merchant.

Submitted by Larry Zeitel of Loras College in Dubuque, IA.

Fifty per cent more for fifty per cent less

The Summer, 1997 issue of Adobe Magazine (Volume 8, Number 5), includes an advertisement for Apple Macintosh. In describing its Power Mac, the company makes this statement.

In fact, Adobe^® Photoshop^® runs 50% faster on a Power Mac**. Which translates into 50% less time staring at your screen and waiting for your computer to finish retouching photos, manipulating images or applying filters.