Noah Gochnauer assignment 5

I've never really encountered initial barriers when trying to talk to friends and family about math. The traditional "I was always bad a math" response does get thrown around frequently though. However, most people seem to recognize the importance of higher level math has for society, even if they don't understand the material themselves. The trick to successfully having a conversation about math with someone less familiar with the subject is to stay away from the details and focus on the outcomes. They don't care about proofs or calculations they don't understand, so you need to avoid those to keep them engaged in the conversation. Instead, talking about what the math does and how the consequences are relevant to them and the world at large gives them an increased appreciation for math and its uses. You can engage with an interested individual in this manner. Conversations like these don't seem to have a significant impact on societal impressions of mathematics. Every little bit counts, but helping just a few people appreciate the benefits of math will not influence national perceptions (unless you're talking to people in positions of power). These are the people that need to be reached if you want to secure national funding for mathematics. Politicians have always seemed to have a negative view towards educational programs as well as science and mathematics. Looking at where our country's funding goes will tell you everything you need to know about their priorities. Shifting funding towards mathematics requires convincing either a large number of active citizens or a small number of the powerful and influential. Both things are hard to accomplish successfully by people with smaller backgrounds. The only thing that can be done is promoting math in the smaller locations, friends, family, and acquaintances. Starting small and building up is the way to go, mainly because it is the only way to go (at least for those of us lacking in background). One must hope one of their conversations will start a butterfly affect of mathematical appreciation that will eventually cause the change desired. The internet might be considered as another possible option, and it would like have some success. However, things on the internet rarely change people's minds on an issue. It's much easier to make a well received argument in a more personal setting.