/sci/ - Science & Math

>>12004992
Your graphic is precisely what is wrong with physics education.

Why all the mystification? Why not:

1. A vector is a thing with direction and magnitude.
2. A one-form is a linear function from a vector to a scalar.
3. A tensor is a linear function of 0 or more vectors and 0 or more scalars that transforms ti a scalar.
4. The scalar produced is (obviously) not dependent on the coordinate system.

its kind of annoying but its what happens when you try to get people who would never like something to be in to it. at least since they like science or whatever they will vote for more science funding so i can get more grants to sit there and try to solve puzzles with a pencil and paper and use the grant money to hire underpaid slaves for my autistic puzzle research
>>9206066
lol, my room was plastered with the periodic table, math stuff, space posters, ripoff art works, stuff like that. just said i dont give a shit about sports and girls didnt care or liked it. i assume you know that by now though

>>9159274
> Have advanced math degree and stats.

> Get cancer

> Read medical literature

> Oh shit these people have no clue cannot stats

> Look at medical curriculum

> No stats, no math

> No systems thinking

> Memorization of facts and 'cookbooks'

> Pattern matching

OP is 100% right.

>>8560397
1. We don't know for sure, yet, and that's OK.

2. Dennett's book is pretty good but not a complete answer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consciousness_Explained

3. My personal opinion is that a lot of the specialness of consciousness will turn out to be illusion designed to make us think our lives and feelings matter and to act on those feelings. Like the way people feel they have a direct perception of the presence of God. Or the way pseudo-philosopher William Lane Craig claims to directly experience the passage of absolute time thus disproving the theory of relativity.

>>7995259
Yes you can. But it is a lot of work. You need to learn a lot of math. Reading popular books will not do it.

I am currently doing this. I have been tracking MIT's course though not enrolled. Currently I am working on the third year math. I have done one course on QM and preparing for a more advanced course. Some things I have learned:

1. You need to really make sure your understanding is solid before moving to the next stage. Otherwise you will get lost.

2. Do the exercises in the text books. There is no substitute for this. This means getting textbooks with answer to selected exercises.

3. You need to get the background math down pat. This means you will probably spend more time learning math than physics.

4. A book that really helps is "A Mind for Numbers". It is full of helpful advice and tips about learning technical subjects.

5. You need to slow down and work through the material. You cannot read this like a novel or a popular book. Take your time and get a solid understanding.

One of the challenges is working out how much math you need to know. For example in algebra you don't need everything. In group theory you need basic group theory, and representations. You can leave out Galois theory and the Sylow theorems. You don't need a very deep understanding of analysis or topology, just a bit to get through Hilbert spaces. I have learned the hard way to learn stuff on demand - otherwise you can waste a lot of time on esoteric material that you will never use.