3 chapters across the catalog
MSNBC host Brian Williams and New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay face widespread ridicule for validating a tweet claiming Michael Bloomberg could have given every American $1 million with his $500 million ad budget. The actual math results in roughly $1.50 per person, representing a million-fold error. The segment is cited as an example of the lack of basic fact-checking and "sniff tests" within elite media circles.
International Mathematical Olympiad and CBS Reporting
CBS News reported on the US team's performance at the International Mathematical Olympiad in Brazil. While the segment focused on the coach's "low stress" approach, the hosts noted that the report failed to mention which country actually won the competition, focusing instead on a "feel-good" narrative.
Common Core Mathematics, Compensation Method Critique
Adam Curry critiques "compensation mathematics," a Common Core teaching method that encourages students to use rounding and subtraction rather than memorizing multiplication tables. The hosts argue this system dumbs down education and compare it to the "New Math" movement of the 1960s.
