Thursday, September 2, 2010

Excel

My HP17BII, which I acquired in 1992 is out of battery. I have been lazy and have not replaced the batteries. So, when my 12-year-old daughter asks me a math question, I open Excel and add a formula: = avg(A1:A6).

???~!!!

My excel does not understand this simple function. And, now I know why. It understands French! I should have typed = Moyenne(A1:A6)... I wonder therefore whether numbers are feminine (which they are not). Maybe, average is feminine, which we are certainly not!!!