‘I Was Not Told There Would Be Math'

Saturday Night Live has made invaluable contributions to American humor, but the best may be the show's political parodies. Chevy Chase was famous for mocking Gerald Ford's clumsy reputation (undeserved, for sure, considering Ford was a standout athlete). Dana Carvey practically built a career mimicking George H.W. Bush, and Phil Hartman had Bill Clinton down pat.

One of the best lines, however, came from Will Farrell's George W. Bush. During a mock debate with Al Gore, Farrell brought roars after responding to a question with, "I was not told there would be math."

Who doesn't fall for that line? Very few among us haven't playfully mocked our math skills at some point (I'm a lawyer, after all, so it's a regular for me). A new study, however, warns us that, yes, in fact, there will be math—and maybe more than we are prepared to handle.