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"Mind Over Matter: Leaders' Poor Math Skills Add Up to Bad Public Policy," by K. C. Cole. Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2001, page A-8.
K. C. Cole explains how the lack of awareness of mathematical subjects such as probability, game theory, and the properties of exponential growth results in bad public policy. Cole uses an example from physicist Al Bartlett to illustrate how ignorance of exponential growth leads to short-sighted planning. In the example, the population of bacteria in a soda bottle is doubling every minute. Since the bacteria's political leaders don't know about exponential growth, they probably won't realize that they will run out of room until literally the last minute. Even if the leaders could find three more bottles, the amount of time before the population would run out of room would be extended by only two minutes. The example parallels our consumption of oil. A reduction in the growth rate of consumption of oil will extend the life span of our supply much more than finding new sources ever could.
--- Mike Breen
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