Learn maths - win money!
If ever proof was needed that maths comes in handy when you least expect it, it is in this depressing-if-it-wasn’t-funny story from the Manchester Evening News.
Camelot, the lottery and gaming firm, has had to withdraw its ‘Cool Cash’ scratchcard from sale, after it transpired the apparently simple challenge presented on the cards was beyond many of its customers.
’Cool Cash’ showed a cold - often sub-zero -temperature and asked customers to scratch off a panel to reveal a lower temperature. If the player found a lower temperature, he or she could claim the reward.
Unfortunately the task of comparing negative numbers seems to be a challenge for many. Some, like 23-year old Tina Farrell believed they had won, arguing with newsagent staff and Camelot helpline workers:
“I phoned Camelot and they fobbed me off with some story that -6 is higher - not lower - than -8 but I’m not having it.
Tina qualified her complaint, not entirely convincingly:
“I think Camelot are giving people the wrong impression - the card doesn’t say to look for a colder or warmer temperature, it says to look for a higher or lower number. Six is a lower number than 8. Imagine how many people have been misled.”
Comparing and ordering negative numbers is first handled in Maths-Whizz at ages nine and ten (years 4 and 5), in exercises like this one.
The Manchester Evening News blog has reported on the huge online reaction to this story - a heartening reminder that at least some of us take numeracy seriously. And whilst we don’t condone attempting to draw an income from scratchcard wins, we do hope that Maths-Whizz students will leave us better prepared for some of the less obvious mathematical demands of modern life…