Marriage Algebra: 1 + 1 = 2?

A Mathematical professor says that with two lines of algebra, he can predict with almost 100% accuracy which newly wed couples will enjoy a happy marriage.

The formulae, which have a 94% success rate, were calculated by Professor James Murray during a 10-year study of 700 couples in the United States conducted at the University of Washington in Seattle. The experiment, conducted with the help of a psychologist, involved observing the couples during a 15-minute conversation when they were newly married.

A couple's ability to communicate on subjects such as sex, child-rearing or money was measured using a scale that gave positive points for good signals, such as smiles and affectionate gestures, and negative points for bad signals, such as rolling of the eyes and coldness.

The points were then converted into algebraic terms, enabling the study's authors to make divorce projections.

The results were fed into two equations, which were then used to calculate the compatibility of the couples by adding a series of other variables such as an "influence function" that differed for each couple.

The "influence function" measured how much someone's contribution to the conversation dictated the mood of his or her spouse.

The couples were tracked every 2 years and the model predicted which marriages failed with almost complete accuracy.

Professor Murray, who has been happily married to his wife Sheila for 40 years, said, "I was absolutely astonished. The key thing that comes out of it is that we have been able to calculate how people interact. For example, the wife might be a conflict avoider and the husband might be volatile. That marriage would not survive."

On the positive side, however, he added: "It points out why some people are having problems and can show what action has to be taken to save the marriage."

Taken from a report in the Straits Times, 9 August 2003 - Happy National Day!!!

 
How to Answer a Telephone Call:

Remove the hand telephone from the hook and say "Here is Main 297" (or whatever your number may be). The party calling should say "Here is Main 298" (or whatever the number may be). Much friction and annoyance will be avoided if this simple plan is carried out.

Taken from the August, 1906 Pacific States Telephone & Telegraph Company directory for San Francisco, California