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Simple math problem could indicate your religious beliefs

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by frozenandbroken, Jul 4, 2012.

  1. Um...so, this was a headline on my news feed. I don't know how legitimate it is, but let's find out!

    *If a baseball and bat cost $110, and the bat costs $100 more than the ball, how much does the ball cost?*


    Okay, now that you’ve given it some thought, I’ll let you in on what this is all about.

    It turns out nearly everyone who answers this question come up with one of two possible responses.

    Some people say the ball cost $10.

    Others say it cost $5.

    The mathematically correct answer is $5.

    If that was your answer, you are an analytical thinker and – according to results of this study – more likely not to have any religious beliefs.

    If you said the ball cost $10 (and I confess to being one of those people), you are an intuitive thinker and thus more likely to hold a religious belief of some kind.

    I guarantee that some of you, regardless which answer you came up with, will feel anger, resentment or some other kind of negative emotion after reading the study’s findings. If you proclaim to be an atheist and you said “$10″ you’re might feel as though you haven’t lived up to your usual analytical behaviour – the kind of questioning and skeptical nature that led you to your current views on religion. Likewise, if you are religious and said “$10,” you might feel like the study is saying your belief is an indicator of how smart you are.

    Here's the link to whole article: Simple math problem could indicate your religious beliefs | Sync
     
    #1 frozenandbroken, Jul 4, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 4, 2012
  2. Night Rain

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    I'm an atheist and I came up with what I was supposed to come up with. So I'm happy. :grin:
     
  3. Black Cat

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    It worked on me. My answer indicates that I would be more likely to have a religious belief, which I do/am.
     
  4. King

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    I originally said "Zero!" out loud and very enthusiastically... Then changed my mind and said 10. But I'm an apatheist so... :K

    King x
     
  5. MathMan

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    i said 10 bucks, but i'm an atheist and a math nerd..how is 10 bucks NOT the answer??
     
  6. BudderMC

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    I'm blaming this on the fact that I just woke up and am pretty groggy... but I originally came up with $10 (shame on my mathematical mind). I did know before opening the spoilers that that wasn't right, and tried to figure it out, but my head was hurting so I gave up.

    I dunno what that's supposed to indicate, but I'm not totally atheist but don't follow organized religion either. My answer was inbetween and so am I? Hmm.

    ...a stubborn atheist math nerd? :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

    If the baseball is $5, then the bat has to be $5 + $100 = $105. Total the two and you get $5 + $105 = $110.
     
  7. MathMan

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    duh, nevermind....
     
  8. DanA

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    I'm an athiest... I just suck at math. That's why I'm a history teacher :grin:

    But seriously, if you truly used your analytical skills, you'd realize a single math problem doesn't determine anything :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
     
  9. Owen

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    I got $5, probably because I'm a math major. I'm an atheist and an analytic thinker, too, but that first one probably influenced it the most. I basically looked at it and said, "Ooh, boy, an algebra problem!"
     
  10. justinf

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    I came up with $5, so I guess that would mean I'm an analytical thinker. But I am religious. Sorry for messing up the experiment :lol:
     
  11. mark

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    I chose $10. I'm not an atheist or religious for any matter.

    As a side note, I was honestly thinking of taking up math classes again when school starts. Well, not anymore...
     
  12. Filip

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    I had 5$ too. Then again, I'm an engineer so maths is part of what I do for a living :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

    However, I do consider myself having somewhat of a religious streak. While I don't believe in any kind of divine being humans could interact with on a personal level, I do have a lot of faith in destiny and providence.
    ...which usually results in me being called too religious by my atheist friends, and an atheist by the ones who subscribe to organised religion xD
     
  13. alexi12

    alexi12 Guest

    Got $5 and I'm not religious :slight_smile: I like when things work like that.
     
  14. Heyitsme

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    I got $5, but that's more because I'm a math geek than because of me being nonreligious
     
  15. Jared

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    I got $5 and I'm agnostic.
     
  16. FJ Cruiser

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    I got $5, and though I reject most organized religion in its present form, I'm of the Judeo-Christian tradition of spirituality, and I consider myself a Christian. Trying to equate getting a math problem wrong to being religious is stupidly biased.

    Trying to say analytical thinking correlates to atheism doesn't make sense to me. In the modern sphere of thinking, religion and science are supposed to have no bearing on each other, so saying something doesn't exist because the scientific method can't prove it is just as much a logical leap of faith as saying a deity does exist. How exactly is that analytical?
     
    #16 FJ Cruiser, Jul 4, 2012
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2012
  17. Tetraquark

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    I don't remember what I got the first time I saw this question. I think I got $5, but I'm not sure. I'm an atheist who is majoring in physics and math, by the way.

    I wonder if they controlled for people who have already seen this problem? It's been floating around for years.
     
  18. Pseudojim

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    that was never going to trick me, i live for maths

    ---------- Post added 5th Jul 2012 at 03:25 AM ----------

    (1) a + b = 110

    (2) a = 100 + b

    sub (2) into (1)

    100 + b + b = 110

    2b = 110 - 100

    b = 5

    simultaneous equations, 8th grade iirc
     
  19. brocub

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    At first I got ten, but then I thought about why it has to be 5 and figured out that I'm dumb xD
    Also, religiously I say I'm an atheist, but spiritually I believe in a higher power (because of an HIV scare that I had... kind of have to say that I believe cause I said I would if I was negative).
     
  20. solarcat

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    First I said $10, because 110-100=10.

    But then I realised that equation was the wrong one to use.

    Then I did the same as the other math peeps:
    a+b=110
    a+100=b
    a+a+100=110
    2a+100=110
    2a=10
    a=5

    The ball is $5.

    I'm agnostic, btw.