/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.4044410]

I don't know very much math or science, but they interest me far more than any of the humanities. I am one quarter away from finishing university. Should I just forget about math and science and resign myself to reading books about the human condition etc.? Should I convert to Christianity and dedicate myself to God? Is there any point to trying to teach myself physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science?

[Anonymous No.4044415]

no no yes

[Anonymous No.4044414]

Basically should I just shut up and accept the fact that I'm stupid and can only understand stories and philosophy.

[Anonymous No.4044416]

Given that you can't ask a focused question, I find your statement that you are college sophomore to be accurate.

[Anonymous No.4044426]

>>4044416
Okay, here: Is it ever to late to beginning learning math and science?

[Anonymous No.4044428]

>>4044426

no, but it might be too boring

[Anonymous No.4044432]

Do what you feel is right. We can't tell you. You know know better than me.

[Anonymous No.4044433]

>>4044426
No.

Personally speaking I managed to incorporate science into my B.A. (History) buy choosing to get my Masters in History of Science. I learn and research science but get to enjoy the literary art of history.

Nothing is ever too late, if you feel things are too late its probably has more to do with your own procrastinating habits and lack of interest than time itself.

[Anonymous No.4044435]

>>4044426
if you want to do anything useful with it, yea.

[Anonymous No.4044436]

>>4044410
It's the only noble pursuit. Find the truth, study science and mathematics. Or become an engineer and make things.

Reading books, like masturbating, is done for entertainment.

[Anonymous No.4044439]

Thanks guys, I trust you more than the condescending meanies on /sci/. I will continue to pursue all of my interests to the best of my ability.

[Anonymous No.4044442]

>>4044439
Good, we need more renaissance men in this world.

[sir kek No.4044444]

study everything, OP. then foacus on what interests you.

[Anonymous No.4044447]

>>4044439

Good on you, inspires me to pick up more bio

[Anonymous No.4044448]

>>4044410
if they actually interested you, you would know more about them than you do. you don't actually care for them, it's just a facade of yours because you think it would make you look smarter. but let's face it, you're too stupid for maths anyway

[Anonymous No.4044449]

>>4044436

lel such philosophy

[Anonymous No.4044452]

>>4044416
>Criticizing someone's writing ability while failing at reading comprehension

[Anonymous No.4044455]

>>4044448
I thought reading Foucault was the best way to look smart

[Anonymous No.4044454]

>>4044436
>Reading books, like masturbating, is done for entertainment.

Interesting. Researching primary and secondary (what you call books) sources has been paying my mortgage for the past 9 years.

[Anonymous No.4044459]

>>4044444
damn nigga

[Anonymous No.4044461]

I'm studying physics and I spend lot of my free time doing /lit/.

I can't see why you couldn't do it other way around. I have to tell you this though: physics=/=popsci

[Anonymous No.4044462]

>>4044461
>physics=/=popsci

I've suspected this for sometime. It's good to have a physics student confirm this for me.

[Anonymous No.4044464]

I take it for granted that I'm well-versed in both mathematics and the classics. In addition, people who went to school for math will have an easier time picking up the classics later in life, whereas the opposite is true for people who want to learn math later in life.

[Anonymous No.4044465]

>>4044444
top ruse man : )

[Anonymous No.4044468]

>muh science

Ah, good ol' Enlightenment 2.0. Creating a generation of arrogant twentysomethings who will do nothing but clutter up message boards with their lazy understandings of outdated science.

[Anonymous No.4044469]

>>4044444


only 400,000 posts left.

[Anonymous No.4044471]

>>4044468

The Enlightenment's significance gets shit smeared with that comparison.

[Anonymous No.4044472]

>>4044465
What was even remotely euphoric about that?

[Anonymous No.4044473]

>>4044472
DUBZ

[yesman No.4044482]

>>4044444

[Anonymous No.4044486]

>>4044426
>math

[Anonymous No.4044492]

>>4044473
>>4044482
>lol da numbers are da same isnt that neat

Get the hell out of here.

[Anonymous No.4044503]

How can you be sure they interest you if you don't know anything about them?

Why do you think philosophy is about "stories" and "human condition"?

[Anonymous No.4044508]

>>4044410
Do you want to just learn those subjects or do you wish to apply them?

Other than the basics I would not try to self learn chemistry. A lot of chemistry is applied knowledge that is learned through practice, not by theory.

Certain areas of Mathematics can be easily self taught (calculus, linear algebra, probability, stats). Though it will require you to spend a lot of time doing problems. Just pick up some textbooks that have solutions to their problems and get at her.

Once you know calculus and some linear algebra you can move on to Physics. Stats is also useful in some areas (mainly probability densities).

Computer science is very easily self taught. Just pick up books on basic C, data structures, algorithms, databases, and formal logic (if you have not taken a course in logic). There are piles of resources online.

[Anonymous No.4044532]

>>4044508
This.

Mathematics and sciences are "logical" fields. Meaning, they present you strictly facts, and the structures and processes to get you to those facts. While there are branches of both that delve into unknown and insane territory, you are still a sentient, conscious being, prone to irrationality, which means these fields do not give your life "meaning", or pleasure, or happiness.

The arts,and specifically literature, are attained through abstractions. Look at poetry, and how it works. All poetry fails when put under the cold eye of logic. For example, depictions of nature in Romantic poetry do not necessarily depict nature "as is", or in the scientific practice or method, but the logical jump, or abstraction, attained through the language offers it meaning, in the assemblage of language of the poet's intent. That, along with the relatable image, and rhythmic pattern.

In all honesty, finish your university doing math and science, and pursue literature in your spare time. Literature, at least to this literature major, gave a very keen way of looking at things, and in my 5 years of studying it, it's offered a very healthy way of "looking" at life.

[Anonymous No.4044555]

>>4044410
>not being a polymath
>2013

[Anonymous No.4044637]

>>4044532
You're an idiot. How can you tell someone he doesn't enjoy something? Do you really believe scientists don't get any satisfaction from their work?

[Anonymous No.4044669]

>>4044555
>you will never be a polymath

[Anonymous No.4045239]

>>4044426
It's never too late, but don't jump into material unless you truly are ready for it. Start from the beginning. I did that my freshman year in highschool; I got a book on the fundamental concepts of elementary math and worked up from there. It helped tremendously.

[Anonymous No.4045246]

>>4044433
>Masters in History of Science
This sounds really cool. Can you recommend me any books on the subject? I've always been interested in the history of science math, but never dived into it much.

[Anonymous No.4045310]

I keep meaning to read a history of mathematics and maybe geometry so that I can figure out what a self-respecting renaissancepolymanchild would have known a century or two ago.

I don't really care to master all the modern stuff because I figure a huge amount of it is practical and aimed at engineering, but so much of 19th century philosophy is informed by mathematics and geometry. It pisses me off that I got to calculus, said "fuck this", and promptly forgot everything past multiplication tables.

[Anonymous No.4045315]

>>4045310
>I don't really care to master all the modern stuff because I figure a huge amount of it is practical and aimed at engineering

Uh, no.

[Anonymous No.4045357]

Would you guys recommend Goedel, Escher, Bach as an introduction to scientific concepts?

[Anonymous No.4045371]

>>4045357
iirc it deals mostly with pure math and logic
it's a good book and I read it when I was getting into science I guess but it's certainly not written as an introduction

[Anonymous No.4045395]

>>4044410
Why don't you do all of those things? The bro in your picture pretty much did.