On Monday, January 27, 2003, at 04:29 PM, Michael Barr wrote: > Ok, here is one in math. The proof of the chain rule in nearly all > calculus books is wrong. The funny thing is that a correct proof is > not > especially harder than the incorrect proof. There are cases where we > tell > lies because the truth is too complicated. Here's one: it is assumed > that > you can add and multiply infinite decimals and the truth is that you > can, > but the rules are so complicated that they are hard to describe. > Think, > for example, how to double .555555555555.... (unless you say that 5/9 + > 5/9 = 10/9 = 1.111111111...., in which case I will give you a number in > which 5s and 6s appear at random). Most of the lies would be too > complicated to describe here. Hear that? that's my brain exploding ;-)