DoubleSix Dice

[Nefaro]

I almost bought three of these as well. I think they would be great to play Traveller with.   8)

I especially loathed "rolling" pyramid-shaped d4s. 

I picked up three of their blue 12-sided d4s (the ones with the pyramid-shaped results, oddly enough) and they ended up also sending me an extra white & red yin/yang style one for free.  O0


I'll post a pic of the ones I got.   Their website pics don't make them look quite as good as they actually are.  Must've been prototype pics they put up there..?

[W8taminute]

Rolling a single double d6 vs. a single d6 seems like cheating to me.  I don't recall my probabilities math course clearly but let me try to figure this out.

Say I need to roll an unmodified 5.  Using a single d6 that gives me a 1 in 6 chance that I'll get the number I need.  Using a double d6 that is a 2 in 12 chance.  In essence the same thing right?

I'm not so sure though.  It seems to me that I can roll 5's faster thus more often using a single double d6 because of the shape of the die itself.  One would just have to develop their die throwing skillz. 

[LongBlade]

Rolling a single double d6 vs. a single d6 seems like cheating to me.  I don't recall my probabilities math course clearly but let me try to figure this out.

Say I need to roll an unmodified 5.  Using a single d6 that gives me a 1 in 6 chance that I'll get the number I need.  Using a double d6 that is a 2 in 12 chance.  In essence the same thing right?

Actually it yields a probability that is 4 in 24.

Probably the best way to ensure the results you're getting are even are to throw 6d6, add the result, then divide by six. Do the arithmetic by hand so you don't introduce any electronic error.

[MetalDog]

Without getting too math-y, how is 4 in 24 not the same as 1 in 6?

[BanzaiCat]

[MetalDog]

Super helpful!  Thanks, B_C!

[BanzaiCat]

I've heard of Common Core but honestly had no idea what it was. I just did a little searching, and holy crap. WHY.

http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/education-2/the-top-ten-most-ridiculous-common-core-problems-so-far







WHY NOT JUST BLOODY MEMORIZE WTF 6 x 9 AND 7 x 5 IS, YOU HAIRY C&NTS?!?!?!?!?!?!?

and my personal favorite



::)

[bayonetbrant]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/04/confusing-math-homework-don-t-blame-the-common-core/360064/

and
https://christopherdanielson.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/5-reasons-not-to-share-that-common-core-worksheet-on-facebook/

The strategy shown on this particular worksheet is counting back.
This is how many people count change: You gave me $20.00 for a $3.18 item, so you get $17 minus $0.18 in change...that's $16.90 minus $0.08...$16.82.
The number line Jack drew captures this thinking.
[For the record, in this case Jack's error was forgetting to subtract the 10 in 316. He counted back three hundred, then six ones. The result is that his answer (indicated on the left-hand end of the number line) is too big by 10. He gets 121. The correct answer is 111.]

and

There is nothing in the Common Core State Standards that requires students to use number lines to perform multi-digit subtraction. In fact, standard 4.NBT.B.4  requires students to "Fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm".
The standard algorithm, of course, is what the frustrated parent suggests that Jack use.

and also...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/28/viral-common-core-homework_n_5049829.html

key quote:

The writing component is also problematic. "The standards don't require essay writing in mathematics," Zimba said.

someone wrote a shitty worksheet for what they were trying to teach; that's not an indictment of an entire standard.


ditto this one

[/img]http://thefederalistpapers.integratedmarket.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/BazvwhtCQAAprio.png[/img]

That's a shitty question no matter what the standard they're aiming for.  Unless there's something that was clipped out of the image telling us how many friends or how many stickers in each bag, the correct answer is "it depends".  But I also wouldn't put it past some extremist political crusader to clip out some key information in an intro paragraph that was to be shared by several questions, and then claim this one f'ed up because it suits their narrative.


Common Core lists the outcomes based on standards.  It does not tell you how to get there.  The fact that shitty teachers wrote shitty questions on shitty exams doesn't mean the standard is f'ed up.  As noted above, the standard says

"Fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm".

It doesn't say f'-all about how to teach it, so shitty teachers write shitty questions to get there.


This whole subject is a very sore one for me b/c one of my aunts is a high school math teacher and deals with this shit all the time.  Just because there's some underpaid, under appreciated moronosaur stuck teaching math because it's the only job she could get and has to work at Sears on the side to pay the bills doesn't mean the standard - again, focused on outcome not process - is wrong.

[BanzaiCat]

Fair enough, Brant. Thanks for the clarifications.

What's f&cked about it all is how opinion in general is against it. Like I said, I've not encountered it with my kids, so I knew little about it, but just about every reference I've heard to Common Core is disparaging or degrading.

[mirth]

The current teaching methods for math are abysmal. My kids struggle with math because the questions and methods are utterly ridiculous. This shit has been going on for decades. Revamp the curriculum to use the latest whackadoo teaching methods and theories, watch it fail miserably over 5-10 years, blame it on lack of funding, scrap the whole thing and go on to the next bullshit thing. It keeps a lot of people employed, but it does little to educate students.

[LongBlade]

Without getting too math-y, how is 4 in 24 not the same as 1 in 6?

It's identical. Sorry, apparently my round sense of humor didn't fit into this square hole of a post.

At least some of you guys picked up on my jest at over-complicating rolling a d6 or a d12 with double sixes. If the die is properly constructed (which polishing may disrupt, but that's another story) then rolling a d12 that has double sixes or rolling a d6 will produce exactly the same results. Except that IMHO rolling a d12 is more fun because you do it less often.

My apologies for any confusion caused by my poor choice of wit.

[mirth]

Can you put all this into an eye-catching graph?

[bayonetbrant]

Can you put all this into an eye-catching graph?

[mirth]

Can you put all this into an eye-catching graph?

Much better. Thank you.

[LongBlade]

Can you put all this into an eye-catching graph?