I met someone after church the other day, and the conversation went like this
- Someone: And what’s your speciality?
- Me: Mathematics
- Someone: So, you teach in the University?
- Me: No, why should I be teaching in the University just because I specialise in mathematics?
There seems to be a general impression (and I’m deliberately overstating this) that the only use for math is to teach it. Even some teachers believe this, apparently. Here’s another conversation I had with someone at a bus stop :