I brought it up in conversation with the spouse tonight, while watching "Bones", how as a child I had a very nice microscope set, an Invisible Woman, a chemistry set and got the Year Book Encyclopedia Science Year annuals. I wanted to grow up to be a scientist of some sort (maybe biology, I thought back then) and my parents were supportive. My brain however was not.
In High School came the realization that, in order to become a scientist, I'd need to really understand and do well at math. End of dream. Algebra was a nightmare. I only did well in the first part of Geometry where it's learning theorems and a doing lot of cool drawing with compass and protractor. Once we had to do the whole x and y and multiply this and divide that and square roots (yikes!), I was simply incapable of success. I didn't have the basic competency in math. Even now, remembering what 7x6 is gets me frowning. And we didn't have calculators then - I started High School in 1971.
I focused on my strengths and went on to get a BA in English in college. But I never lost my interest in science.
I have a passing acquaintance with a lot of scientific concepts from my reading, not only of hard SF, but I also keep an eye on a number of science blogs and sites. I lean a bit more to the tech stuff as it is relevant to my work but I also enjoy National Geographic (did you read about the giant mice?), Scientific American, and Nature.
I've also started reading regularly from a couple science blogs I've recently become aware of: Cosmic Variance and Pharyngula, which is one of the many blogs at Science Blogs. I hope to find more to add to my list.
dawno
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"numb3rs", yes! And I don't even understand most of what Charlie says beyond the basic concepts. But, heck, how many shows are there that make mathematics exciting?
I loved algebra, but for me it was calculus that kept me from going much further in math or science. I never really "got it," and felt uncomfortable just memorizing steps without understanding why I was doing it.
But I like hanging out with scientists, both in real life and on blogs. Smart folks.
Hi, Dawno! We have a lot in common -- we're both English majors who are also science nerds. I thought about going into science, too. Science, literature, and music duked it out and literature won, LOL!
But I keep up with science, particularly developments in theoretical physics, which I love. It's mind-blowing, to say the least! And like you, I love that there are so many nerdy shows on TV now. :)
Serge - my husband is pretty good with the maths and he gets a bit grumpy now and again, but usually he's just as engaged as I am in the show.
Crabby, I can't even imagine what calculus is like. Hanging around with smart folks is how I'm trying to fight off senility - not sure it's working yet. Where did I put my glasses?
Thomma Lyn, good to see you! Music is my #2 love - I was in choir, band and in college, Madrigals. My daughter has the gene, too - and a triple threat, drama, dance and music.
Theoretical physics! Wild wooly stuff that is - I read fast but when I get to things about the "quantum foam" I slow way down, I think my lips start moving, too.
Sorry to be chiming in so late on this!
I didn't "get" higher math (meaning anything that involved treating letters like numbers letters, LOL) until I took a logic class in college. Somewhere in the midst of all those if...then proofs, something clicked. It was quite literally a lightbulb moment, and I knew then that I could do higher math if I wanted to.
I was 28 or 29 at the time, on my second pass at my BA, so I didn't pursue higher math at the time. I didn't need it and I wanted to graduate asap. But a couple years later I was in a spot with my master's degree. I needed 3 hours to graduate, but 6 to stay in deferment on my loans. So I signed up for calculus on a lark.
Fourteen years after a struggled for a C in algebra, I pulled off a B+ in calculus with very little effort. I credit whatever it was in logic class that tweaked my brain.
For those of us who are word-oriented rather than number-oriented, logic should be our intro to math. I'm absolutely convinced of this.
hiya bunnygirl! I took one math class in college - it was a course for freshmen honors, geared towards teaching math concepts to humanities students. We went to the Huntington Library on a field trip. It was one of the best courses I took. I don't remember much about the math parts, though. I do recall enjoying the statistics portion of the class - the professor made it interesting and understandable.
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