• The Science Thread V2
    177 replies, posted
Hello everyone. Science is by far my favorite subject, I absolutely love it. I'm currently learning about absolute zero and how matter exhibits quantum phenomena on a macroscopic scale when temperatures are close to absolute zero. Physics is definitely my favorite branch of science and one day I hope to study physics at university.
I'd love physics more if mathematical concepts weren't so difficult for me to grasp. I'm great with just about everything else, but if it came down to me being held at gunpoint and the only way to survive was to solve a basic algebraic equation I would so be dead.
I approve of science. I'm a physics/math double major going into my last semester. I put the S&M in STEM. [QUOTE=Bredirish123;41601915]I'd love physics more if mathematical concepts weren't so difficult for me to grasp. I'm great with just about everything else, but if it came down to me being held at gunpoint and the only way to survive was to solve a basic algebraic equation I would so be dead.[/QUOTE] I firmly believe that everyone can do math, but the way it's generally taught is so terrible very few people want to enough to learn. I was a victim of this in high school.
I just finished my second year of physics at UoN with a year average of 85% and now I'm doing an internship at the additive manufacturing department there over the summer. We're gonna try to make functional inks for use in one of [URL="http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/industrial_inkjet_printheads/deposition-products/dmp-2800/"]these[/URL] and try to print a type of energy supply (I don't actually think I'm allowed to say more than that, believe it or not. :v:) Even though it's often baffling, frustrating and confusing as shit, I think I will always love physics.
In a couple of months' time I'll be starting an astrophysics course at Nottingham Uni, can't wait.
Going to start chemistry soon at bristol or nottingham, feel like I'm going to miss physics pretty badly
Chemistry > Physics.
[QUOTE=Bredirish123;41601915]I'd love physics more if mathematical concepts weren't so difficult for me to grasp. I'm great with just about everything else, but if it came down to me being held at gunpoint and the only way to survive was to solve a basic algebraic equation I would so be dead.[/QUOTE] personally what helped me learn math more than anything was the realization that it was just a way to write down a logical conclusion to a problem. the operations and techniques in math are taught nowadays as being a series of very distinct subjects that are only used as a tool for certain applications. in reality, mathematics, at least to the algebraic level, is integral to our daily problem solving techniques. hell, all algebra really is, is trying to find applicable values for variables based on its relationship to other things around it. you use an algebraic thought process any time you dont know the value of something, and try to figure out that value. so dont be afraid of math. it is pretty much just the language we use to write down the way we already solve problems in our head.
I cannot stand people who say "Math is useless/we don't need math".
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;41602018]I approve of science. I'm a physics/math double major going into my last semester. I put the S&M in STEM.[/QUOTE] Going into 2nd year of a Computer Engineering major. The T&E of STEM.
science is 4 nerds
[QUOTE=Yumyumbublegum;41606299]science is 4 nerds[/QUOTE] [IMG]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=197334&dateline=1296160551[/IMG] you nerd [editline]26th July 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;41602018]I approve of science. I'm a physics/math double major going into my last semester. I put the S&M in STEM. I firmly believe that everyone can do math, but the way it's generally taught is so terrible very few people want to enough to learn. I was a victim of this in high school.[/QUOTE] I agree with the math part, I wasn't really focused on that much in terms of individual learning (teacher-student) from elementary to high, but I've actually started to go to khan academy (don't know if people recommend it) but I've started up my own sort of routine there to help
[QUOTE=Killer900;41605659]I cannot stand people who say "Math is useless/we don't need math".[/QUOTE] Can I say that I despise it in school because of how terrible I am at memorizing formula's? Anybody else hyped for [I]Cosmos[/I] with Neil Degrasse Tyson?
[QUOTE=Killer900;41605659]I cannot stand people who say "Math is useless/we don't need math".[/QUOTE] I love maths, but I sometimes seriously can't understand the value of learning stupidly unneeded shit such as trigonometry and integrals. That's seriously just location of the earlier-learned formulas and the application of them.
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;41602018]I approve of science. I'm a physics/math double major going into my last semester. I put the S&M in STEM.[/QUOTE] What kind of jobs can you get with a physics degree? I planned on going into geophysics because I like physics and wanted to learn the principles of it but didn't want to be stuck behind a desk for the rest of my life. Lately I've been completely enthralled by physics and astronomy and can't be assed about geology anymore so I'm rethinking things. I'd also like to choose what I want to do in uni at some point before I turn 80 so (not currently in uni so it wouldn't be a matter of throwing out a half-finished major or anything)
Seeing this thread reminds me of an interesting point of debate. Can economics be considered a science? After all, the scientific method can be applied to economics, however perhaps the only thing that differentiates it from other fields of science is that experiments cannot be isolated. Because of this, economists can't assume [I]ceteris paribus[/I] (all other things being equal). If you were conducting research on an economy and noticed that one variable changed, you can't assume that whatever follows is true of that variable changing as the economist would not have control over all other variables ([I]post hoc[/I] fallacy). For example, after observing an increase in a tax on firms, those firms may be less profitable or even more profitable than before. Also like other fields of science, economics has tonnes of theories, many of which are in conflict with each other. Three such 'theories' in conflict are classical economics, Keynesian economics and monetarism. These theories can't be confirmed or denied due to the inability of isolating experiments; conclusions made from observations of natural experiments can and will be contradicted in later experiments. Anyways, what do the rest of you think of this? Is the field of economics a science? I am inclined to believe it is after having studied economics at university for quite a while now, it is definitely a very interesting field and is full of debate.
Thread Music (I don't know if Facepunch still does that): [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmHW9hS2KZU[/media] “Science is interesting, and if you don't agree you can fuck off." - Richard Dawkins quoting someone else [editline]27th July 2013[/editline] Also, join the group "I Fucking Love Science" on Facebook. They always have interesting stuff to post.
I'm working on an associates in science (biology) even though I suck at it. I still don't exactly know where babies are produced. In all seriousness, even though I have taken several biology courses I can never commit the material to memory. Even the most basic of biological processes (cellular reproduction/respiration, photosynthesis, protein synthesis) continue escaping my mind. I've also taken my fair share of chemistry and math courses which seems more fun than biology. I am terrible at math though. I haven't attempted anything directly dealing with computer science, physics, or engineering.
I've [I]always[/I] struggled with math. I used to be one of those kids that "hated" math but I've since come to appreciate it. Still terrible with it though. I have a habit of reading numbers backward somehow. Say, the number is 1947, I'll put down or even say 1974. I've gotten questions wrong because of that simple mind-error. I'll sometimes catch myself but usually I'll do it without noticing until after the fact.
[QUOTE=OvB;41610133]I've [I]always[/I] struggled with math. I used to be one of those kids that "hated" math but I've since come to appreciate it. Still terrible with it though. I have a habit of reading numbers backward somehow. Say, the number is 1947, I'll put down or even say 1974. I've gotten questions wrong because of that simple mind-error. I'll sometimes catch myself but usually I'll do it without noticing until after the fact.[/QUOTE] I feel you pain, [B]every single time.[/B]
[QUOTE=Dark RaveN;41607129]I love maths, but I sometimes seriously can't understand the value of learning stupidly unneeded shit such as trigonometry and integrals. That's seriously just location of the earlier-learned formulas and the application of them.[/QUOTE] Trig and integrals are used in insane amounts in electrical and computer hardware calculations. [editline]26th July 2013[/editline] Also fluid dynamics, heat transfer, mechanical design, etc
I drop science like girls be droppin' babies [I]Enough to make a nigga go crazy[/i]
[QUOTE=OvB;41610133]I've [I]always[/I] struggled with math. I used to be one of those kids that "hated" math but I've since come to appreciate it. Still terrible with it though. I have a habit of reading numbers backward somehow. Say, the number is 1947, I'll put down or even say 1974. I've gotten questions wrong because of that simple mind-error. I'll sometimes catch myself but usually I'll do it without noticing until after the fact.[/QUOTE] My math teacher was cool about that. If it was a 5 mark question, and you got the answer wrong because of a stupid error like that but showed the rest of your work and the work was correct, you'd get a 4 anyway. Not much consolation when you're a mechanical engineer and your error ends up with both ends of the bridge being 20 feet off from each other but hey
I absolutely love science. But sometimes I say dumb things because I think I know more than I do.
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;41602018]I approve of science. I'm a physics/math double major going into my last semester. I put the S&M in STEM. I firmly believe that everyone can do math, but the way it's generally taught is so terrible very few people want to enough to learn. I was a victim of this in high school.[/QUOTE] It's truly a shame. University level math courses are kickin' rad. Also Johnny are you taking a (I assume) BSc with two majors, or two distinct degrees? I'm about to transfer into a BSc in physics and BA in Math because I'd like to study more of each than I can under a single degree.
this reminds me of that psywar documentary
Yeah maths major and physics minor here (if I can be bothered to do one more physics course lol)
Marine Biology major. A year from getting my bachelors from UCLA. In Fall 2014, my second to last semester, I'll be doing what's called a Marine Biology Quarter ([url]https://www.eeb.ucla.edu/ugrad_mbq.php[/url]) basically, you sit out on an island somewhere in the pacific, do research related things, take a few classes, and the finale of it is to develop a hypothesis, experiment, and form conclusions of your research. Spring 2015 I'm gonna finish out what classes I have left and apply for the masters program and hopefully get into that Fall 2015 or Spring 2016.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;41611536] Not much consolation when you're a mechanical engineer and your error ends up with both ends of the bridge being 20 feet off from each other but hey[/QUOTE] That seems more like a civil engineering issue than a mechanical engineering issue.
You all may be surprised to know I don't actually have any Marine Biology college under my belt yet. I've been going to community college for a few years because I've had to deal with some medical issues before I moved away to a full college. Things I wouldn't be able to financially do myself. (get my hips replaced) So I've just been kind of hanging out at home taking care of that. I'm hoping to get my way to A&M Galveston sometime in the future though. So far my college career has been anything but normal. [editline]27th July 2013[/editline] I'd like to major in Marine Bio and minor in Oceanography.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.