this post was submitted on 18 Dec 2025
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Most actual math people never have to think about pemdas here because no one would ever write a problem like this. The trick here is "when was the last time I saw an X to mean multiplication" so I would already be off about it
1 + 1/2 in my brain is clearly 1.5, but 1+1÷2 doesn't even register in my brain properly.
Right, and that clue IMO unravels the more troubling aspect of why this content spreads so quickly:
It’s deliberately aimed at people with a rudimentary math education who can be made to feel far superior to others who, in spite of having roughly the same level of proficiency, are missing/forgetting a single fact that has a disproportionate effect on the result they expect.
That is, it’s blue-dress-level contentious engagement bait for anyone with low math skills, whether or not they remember PEMDAS.
Blue-dress-level?
Old internet thing. Hotly debated at the time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dress
I’ll add the contextual link above for others, since it’s been awhile.