What’s The Square Root Of A Gun?
BY Herschel Smith
6 years, 10 months ago
A discussion among students at Oberlin High School in Oberlin, La., about a mathematical symbol led to a police investigation and a search of one of the student’s homes, according to the Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office.
On the afternoon of Feb. 20, detectives investigated a report of terroristic threats at the school, where they learned that a student had been completing a math problem that required drawing the square-root sign.
Students in the group began commenting that the symbol, which represents a number that when multiplied by itself equals another number, looked like a gun.
After several students made comments along those lines, another student said something the sheriff’s office said could have sounded like a threat out of context.
Police searched the student’s home, where they found no guns or any evidence that he had any access to guns. Authorities also wrote there was no evidence the student had any intent to commit harm.
“The student used extremely poor judgment in making the comment, but in light of the actual circumstances, there was clearly no evidence to support criminal charges,” the department wrote, adding that the school board had been contacted to determine any disciplinary action for the student.
The square root sign. The thing I showed above without the radicand. That’s what looks like a gun to someone. And that’s what evoked the call to the cops. And that’s why the cops wasted their time investigating something and someone that didn’t need to be investigated.
The best part is this: “Students in the group began commenting that the symbol, which represents a number that when multiplied by itself equals another number, looked like a gun.”
This is awesome, and is exemplary when it comes to an explanation as to why American schools suck so badly and why we’re lagging the rest of the civilized world when it comes to STEM. We’re apparently grooming students to think a radical looks like a gun instead of, you know, a radical. Maybe they’re not doing enough mathematics, huh?
If I was the math teacher at the school I’d make them do radicals until they turned blue and rotted. And if I was the principal of the school I’d support that teacher and ensure that whomever said that a radical looked like a gun was held back a year and taught remedial mathematics.
But they won’t. The students will be sent on to the next grade to be idiots there too. This is one reason I homeschooled (at least some of my children). I’ve told you about my horrible experience with the nuclear engineering project with my High Schooler, yes?
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On February 26, 2018 at 10:15 am, Steg said:
“Yea? Well your FACE looks like a gun!”
*Shoots them a mean look*
On February 26, 2018 at 10:43 am, Heywood said:
Public education…welcome to our future!
On February 26, 2018 at 1:57 pm, bob sykes said:
Re the diagram: The horizontal line is called a vinculum. It is a grouping element like parentheses, and it is often replaced by parentheses or braces or brackets. The radical is the v-shaped thingyl
On February 26, 2018 at 2:54 pm, Gryphon said:
More Proof that .gov does Not Want smart Cops…
On February 26, 2018 at 2:57 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
I kid you not… a few years ago, a middle-school aged boy ate a cookie for snack time and proceeded to bite off portions such that what was left resembled a handgun. For this, his entire school became hysterical and a total lockdown was declared and local law-enforcement was called to the scene. A cookie in the shape of a handgun! That’s what the insanity has come to!
On February 26, 2018 at 7:41 pm, Bill Mullins said:
I would love to know what those young people where toking just before deciding that the radical symbol resembles a gun. And what if it does? Does that mean Algebra (and Trig and Calc) teachers cannot put root problems on a math exam/quiz? I would like to know exactly what the student whose home was searched actually said that “could have sounded like a threat out of context.”
“From my cold, dead [GSR begrimed] hands”