Or automotive engineers.
I quite agree. I suffered through the first wave of the New Math, and never did understand why they thought it was necessary to try to teach the principles before the mechanics of arithmetic.
Well, actually I do understand. Nobody ever made a name for himself by simply treading in the footsteps of those who went before him, no matter how good the trail was. So “new methods” have to be invented to make a name for their inventors. Unfortunately, “new” does not always mean “better.”
Just like in college, it is all about book sales