In today’s education system, students rely so much on computers and calculators that they even let these technological tools handle the most basic algebraic operations like addition and subtraction. Some even think that the very first item needed to solve a math or science problem is a calculator. This unfortunate thought and extreme dependence on technology eventually leads to the hindrance of cognitive abilities, the deterioration of critical thinking and the loss of scientific intuition. Understanding and employing the technology is different than putting it ahead of our knowledge and thinking. In this study, we do not intend to depreciate the role of technology in our lives, but to value the basic knowledge in mathematics. We would like to show all readers how valuable the accumulated knowledge and the methods developed over the centuries by great mathematicians and scientists are. We also want to note that the technology could only be present due to this collective knowledge of humankind. In this regard, we demonstrate how to estimate values of various irrational numbers, such as those arising from square root operations and those as the outcomes of trigonometric functions, without using a calculator.
Do we really need a calculator to find the sine of 1 degree?
Updated: Aug 2, 2023