Math Skills Gone?

QUESTION: Dave comments on a listener email about the loss of math skills in today's society.

ANSWER: Math skills have eroded way, but sometimes I wonder if it's not such a bad thing.  Calculators are everywhere and if there's a quicker way of being more efficient at something, I'm always in favor of that.  Mathematics is a big foundation of many things we do in society however, so sharpening up is never a bad thing.