Math - The Universal Language

Math is the only language that is shared by all human beings. Some would even say that it is a shared language with non humans as well ;-)

We all have the ability to be literate in this one language. Whether we are baking cookies or discovering the world of DNA, math provides us with the tools to unlock our universe.

If I were to list all the jobs that use Math....well, let's just say that I would be doing nothing else except listing jobs.

Sports? Math is used in sports in numerous ways. The first thing you probably think of is as a statistician.

A player's batting average (B) gives the percentage of hits the player makes when he is at bat. It is found by dividing the total number of hits made (h) by the total times at bat (a):

B = h/a

So if Joe has 120 hits in the 300 times he is at bat, his batting average is .400 (120/300).

 The Police  use Math. They do accident reconstruction. I'm sure you've seen either a police officer or highway patrol officer out on the street after an accident and they're taking measurements. They reconstruct the accident to determine what happened and, eventually, who was at fault.

Designers use Math in their design process. This guy designs backpacks, but whether you are designing cars, slaughter houses, computers or video games, you always use Math.

Radio Engineers and Program Directors need to figure out each and every day, how much time they need to fill for their programs. Think about it -- XYZ DJ has a 3 hour slot to fill. How do you fill it? How long is each song? How many commercials and how long do they run? How much talking time? I was amazed at how precise radio schedules need to be and how much Math is needed to figure out just a 3 hour slot!

If you want to find out more about different careers that require Math, check out this site. I like that they break down the different levels of math needed for certain jobs. Clicking on the individual links, takes you to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) site, which I use a lot!