Simon Hailstone

Researching and opining about engineering, architecture, construction, software and its place in the world.
Retired - whatever that means.

[Anand Sanwal @asanwal]

We don't need more math apps in school

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀
1/2 of middle and high schoolers say they’re bored in most math classes.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺’𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁
▪️Schools are drowning in math software, hoping the next app will magically boost engagement.
▪️But who are the kids who are the least engaged in math? The ones with the most math apps.
▪️They’re actually asking for less tech and more relevance in math.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳
▪️49% of students report losing interest in math during most lessons.
▪️55% of the least engaged students want fewer online math activities.
▪️54% of them want more real-world math problems.

𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭-𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴.”
— Schwartz et al., RAND, 2025

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄
At SoE, math is how students make a difference.

▪️ They model disease spread for a public health campaign.
▪️ They build a financial plan to help a local bakery understand its best products.

It is math that is relevant and which fuels real impact.
And that's what makes it stick.

This is not about making it easier.
Or providing another app.
It's about making it matter.

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸
▪️ Your child doesn't dislike math because they don’t have the right math app.
▪️ They’re disengaged because they don’t see the point.
▪️ Schools keep buying software, but software doesn't create purpose.

𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲
Students Lose Interest in Math: Findings from the American Youth Panel
Heather L. Schwartz, Robert Bozick, Melissa Kay Diliberti, Sarah Ohls
RAND Corporation, 2025

[Simon Hailstone @Hailstone_S]

Signal boost for this excellent and disturbing thread.

[Dr Adam Rutherford @AdamRutherford]

Ok, here we go: Much of my work concerns the history and return of scientific racism. I’ve written extensively about attempts to resurrect the shuffling corpse of
race science and eugenics for many years. Bigotry dressed up as biology. 1/n

[Benjamin Riley @benjaminjriley]

Last week, Anthropic CEO @DarioAmodei wrote what's being described as a "techno-optimist" manifesto regarding humanity's future under what he calls Powerful AI. I'm calling it something else: digital eugenics.

You can find my essay via the link in my bio.

[Bentley Systems, Inc @BentleySystems]

Today, Nicholas Cumins takes charge as CEO of Bentley Systems, ushering in a new era. He succeeds Greg Bentley who becomes Executive Chair of our Board of Directors.

Hear from Nicholas.

[Simon Hailstone @Hailstone_S]

@EEPaul Would be interested to know how that is valued, and how it would be monetized over the period of a project.

[Synopsys @Synopsys]

#ExcitingNews: Synopsys to acquire @ANSYS, creating a leader in silicon to systems design solutions.

Join the investor webcast today at 5:30amPT/8:30amET. For more information visit: https://t.co/l5OBdJ8M3u

[Simon Hailstone @Hailstone_S]

@nemetschekgroup joins the #BIM #DigitalTwin SaaS, open, platform community supporting full-lifecycle in #AEC . Ticks all the word boxes. Be interested to see what's behind it.

[[email protected] @nemetschekgroup]

After a year of hard work & planning, the @NemetschekGroup announces the availability of its new, SaaS-based #DigitalTwin platform "dTwin". Horizontal, open, data-driven. Designed to help customers manage facilities efficiently from design to operations | https://t.co/nmA5Rkxi3e

[ISRO @isro]

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
'India🇮🇳,
I reached my destination
and you too!'
: Chandrayaan-3

Chandrayaan-3 has successfully
soft-landed on the moon 🌖!.

Congratulations, India🇮🇳!

#Chandrayaan_3
#Ch3

[New Civil Engineer @ncedigital]

According to Keith Bentley @BentleySystems engineers need to be ready to embrace change when it comes to adopting new technology.

Listen now to hear NCE editor @ClaireS_NCE speak with Keith on how far the industry has come in the last 40 years.

https://t.co/HtLKUqJStd

[Simon Hailstone @Hailstone_S]

is this coronation day for BIM 2.0 or more of a declaration of a republic? #nxtdev @AECmagazine

[Simon Hailstone @Hailstone_S]

In London for #nxtbld . #AEC futures, #BIM2_0 @AECmagazine

[Simon Hailstone @Hailstone_S]

We're working on sizing those markets right now 😂 🙃

[Nicolas Catellier @nicocatellier]

I asked ChatGPT to come up with 10 new BIM dimensions.

There are some great ideas in there! I'll take the WHIZZ.

[Antony Slumbers @antonyslumbers]

Please can we achieve all of these before waffling on endlessly about their being no work for anyone in the future? Developments in AI seem to have addled many people’s brains. We are nowhere near running out of work to do.

[Alan Griffiths @cambashi_alan]

Please see my latest article: Takeaways, Insights and Report from Autodesk University 2022; as well as an overview of their latest technology, there are some interesting observations and case studies to do with sustainability. https://t.co/qQRlQGmzk0 via @LinkedIn

[Simon Hailstone @Hailstone_S]

@chrisoldwood Most real life problems/solutions are complex. Experience may help you to chart a simpler path but it doesn't remove the underlying complexity. @jimalkhalili has a great chapter on Occam's razor in his book The Joy of Science.

[Simon Hailstone @Hailstone_S]

@CliftonHarness @antonyslumbers Indeed. The same chart for total investment refs Deloitte. Follow the link and it takes you to their fintech tool. Where Real Estate is under…. Financial Services.

[Clifton Harness @CliftonHarness]

One hell of a thread on architecture 👇

[Monica Schnitger @monica_schnitge]

Schneider Electric to buy rest of AVEVA. Quick blog post: https://t.co/r2RUypC2Di

[Bentley Systems, Inc @BentleySystems]

JUST ANNOUNCED: We are thrilled to share that Michael Campbell was appointed Chief Product Officer. He brings vast experience in software innovation & a unique perspective on the evolution of engineering software applications to incorporate cloud services. https://t.co/LfXHCxx086