
Can you solve this primary school maths problem which has everyone stumped?
Every generation is divided on whether schoolwork has got harder or easier over the years. Boomers, for example, deplore the ubiquity of multiple-choice questions on modern-day tests, while Gen-Z argues that exam pressure has never been more intense. And yet, one maths problem is stumping children and adults from across all ages, even though it was originally intended for six to seven-year-olds. The bewildering question was shared to Twitter by American journalist Helen Rosner, who explained: “My friend just sent me this pic of his 1st grader’s math workbook and neither he nor I have even the tiniest clue what the kid is supposed to do here.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The image features two shopping baskets – one containing three oranges and two bananas, the other empty – accompanied by the following task: “Use math drawings to make the pictures equal. Connect them below with = to make true number sentences.” Rosner’s tweet was instantly met with bewilderment, with one commentator replying: “Are you...supposed to draw the exact same fruits in the second basket????? To make them 'equal'????? “I feel like it's a psychology experiment and not a math problem." Others admitted they tripped at the first hurdle, with a number asking: “What the hell are ‘math drawings’?” Others made valiant attempts at solving the problem: “My brain goes to drawing someone eating all the fruit on the right side, with the peels of two bananas and three oranges scattered around him,” one said, adding: “Is that mathed properly?” “It does look like the answer is eat one orange and then split the rest of the fruit between the two baskets…” suggested a second. Or, simpler still: “Maybe you draw fruit in the empty basket to make them equal?” (This one makes the most sense to our small, Monday morning brains.) “College math instructor here,” chimed in another. “My thought: make sure that both baskets have the same number of fruit. You could do this by adding 3 oranges and 2 bananas to the right, but you could also add FOUR oranges and 2 bananas, and then an extra orange to the left!” That guy lost us at "college math instructor," to be honest. Still, it’s not surprising that the question has boggled so many minds given that the child’s own father – a graduate of Ivy League university MIT – couldn’t figure it out. One Twitter user summed up how all parents were feeling about the whole debacle, writing simply: “All I know is the age at which I’m intimidated by my kid’s math homework has been pushed WAY up.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-06-19 17:50

ECB’s Nagel Says Nothing Off the Table for September Meeting
European Central Bank Governing Council member Joachim Nagel refused to exclude that interest-rate increases may persist beyond the
2023-05-11 14:50

Namibia Considers Taking Stakes in Mining and Petroleum Companies
Namibia is considering taking minority stakes in mining and petroleum production companies amid increasing concerns over local ownership
2023-05-30 10:28

Andrew Tate slams idea of relying on emotions for work choices, advocates masculine approach, trolls say 'atleast I can get out of my house'
Andrew Tate believes every one should train and work despite their situation and moods
2023-07-01 15:21

Wall St futures tumble after Fitch downgrades top-tier US rating
By Johann M Cherian and Bansari Mayur Kamdar Wall Street futures tumbled on Wednesday after rating agency Fitch's
2023-08-02 19:17

Heisman winner Caleb Williams throws 4 TD passes, leads No. 6 USC past San Jose State 56-28
No. 6 Southern California opened the season with a 56-28 victory over San Jose State
2023-08-27 13:20

South Africa's Kruger National Park study: Animals fear human voices more than lions
Scientists played recordings of both people talking and lions growling through speakers at water holes.
2023-10-06 19:49

Drugmakers want to stop Medicare from negotiating prices. Here's what you should know
In less than three months, the federal government is set to announce the initial 10 drugs subject to first-ever price negotiations in Medicare. Pharmaceutical companies and their supporters want to stop that from happening.
2023-06-17 04:54

Far-right figure ends divisive crowdfunding for police officer who shot boy, triggering riots
A French far-right figure behind a divisive, and hugely successful, crowdfunding campaign for the family of a police officer jailed in the killing of a 17-year-old that triggered riots around France announced on Tuesday that he’s closing the account which topped more than 1.5 million euros
2023-07-05 05:45

Joran van der Sloot, accused in the US of defrauding Natalee Holloway's mother, is expected to be flown from Peru to Alabama Thursday
FBI agents are expected to transfer Joran van der Sloot on Thursday to the US, where he is accused of extorting money from the mother of Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teen who was last seen with the Dutch national and two others 18 years ago in Aruba.
2023-06-08 13:55

Backlash Spreads Over Musk’s Endorsement of Antisemitic Post
Fallout from an Elon Musk post endorsing antisemitic views continues to spread, prompting a rebuke from the White
2023-11-18 02:58

Trump-Tied SPAC Climbs as Merger Partners Extend Pact Timing
The blank-check firm struggling to take Donald Trump’s social media company public rallied in premarket trading after the
2023-08-10 16:47
You Might Like...

Thailand says 1 million Chinese tourists visited from January to mid-May

House passes GOP-led gas stove bill

Who is Fani Willis, the Atlanta prosecutor expected to seek charges over Trump's 2020 election subversion bid?

Russia hits Ukraine targets in 'mass retaliatory strike' after bridge attack

Léopold Sédar Senghor: Senegal delays auction in France

Five figures on Covid-19 in the United States

Ukraine's Zelenskiy stops over in Poland to award two volunteers

Who owns MJJ Productions? Appeals court considers reviving Michael Jackson sexual abuse lawsuits