/sci/ - Science & Math

[Anonymous No.5357329]

do you /sci/entists have any sort of creative outlet in your life?

I'm starting to go mad studying physics 24/7...I need to see the other side of life....what do you guys do on the other side of science?

[Anonymous No.5357344]

>>5357329
>>5357329
>what do you guys do on the other side of science?

I see science as a job and something interesting to do now and then.

It can't really be a passion because I can't express myself with it, I can't build worlds or beauty or anything with it.

I can however build pragmatic solutions to problems, which is good for $$$ and for helping people.

But if I was the last person on earth I would still create art, still play music and paint. But there wouldn't be much purpose to do any science--other than reading it superficially for fun

[Anonymous No.5357355]

Mainly music. Play some instruments and look for new and interesting music to listen to.

[Anonymous No.5357359]

>>5357329

Get a girlfriend and do activities together.

You'd be surprised how your whole perception and mood can improve just from being touched by a girl (this is what I'm told)

[Anonymous No.5357430]

>>5357344
> can't build world or beauty or anything with science.

Are you sure you are really doing science?

Also, have you heard of thus wonderful thing called math? Because it does all those things.

[Anonymous No.5357431]

I work out.

[Anonymous No.5357442]

>>5357359
> this is what I'm told
feeled hard

[Anonymous No.5357443]

I actually picked up rockclimbing and then other 'adventure' sports after starting my PhD in Physics at Sydney University... Got peer-pressured into starting rockclimbing initially as a lot of the new post docs, post grads, masters and honour students (the climbing gym is literally next door to the Physics Building). Decided after a couple outdoor trips that climbing was for me and eventually went into canyoning, rogainning, spelunking, etc.

Whilst I can't say that was the same experience for every physics PhD at USYD, rockclimbing had a retention rate of more than 50% of the students who at least tried it once (at least in the years I was there...)

[Anonymous No.5357444]

>>5357430
>Are you sure you are really doing science?
>Also, have you heard of thus wonderful thing called math? Because it does all those things.


By world I mean like an imaginary construct, the things we see in Movies or Literature or Art.

Ya science is useful for digging efficient holes and building bridges and whatnot, its all nice. but it is empty of beauty, art, meaning, and all significant things

if humans had all the necessities of life, they wouldn't pursue science

only reason we do it is to solve practical problems, nothing about it is really interesting--except on a superficial Wikiepedia level of "oh black hole ssuck things in, neat...lets do something meaningful now"

[Anonymous No.5357467]

>implying doing math isn't my creative outlet

[Anonymous No.5357468]

>>5357442

[Anonymous No.5357477]

>>5357444
>Ya science is useful for digging efficient holes and building bridges and whatnot, its all nice. but it is empty of beauty, art, meaning, and all significant things

You're in the wrong field, son.

[Anonymous No.5357478]

pay hookers for sex

[Anonymous No.5357479]

>>5357444
>if humans had all the necessities of life, they wouldn't pursue science
>only reason we do it is to solve practical problems, nothing about it is really interesting--except on a superficial Wikiepedia level of "oh black hole ssuck things in, neat...lets do something meaningful now"
You never wondered why something is like that and not the other way around?

[Anonymous No.5357483]

I listen to music, I play in a jazz band, I work out, I read literature and write occasionallu haikus and short stories.
Well, I'm not really a scientist though. I study med.

[Anonymous No.5357486]

You could play with fractals. But seriously science isn't just a tool. Well, it is mostly a systematic approach to solving problems, but the way I see it it's an expression of human nature to vainly attempt to understand and discover the universe. It's not a dry, practical thing like you think, especially pure research. It's all about something bigger. Besides, science teaches you to recognize patterns, so make some patterns, or just learn guitar or something. Then ruin for yourself by learning the modes of oscillation of the strings, then revel in that you know how to do that.

[Anonymous No.5357489]

>>5357444
http://www.youtube.com/user/numberphile

[Anonymous No.5357546]

I play Dwarf Fortress.

Yes, that's it.

[Anonymous No.5357705]

>>5357329
Work out! Lift some shit, but if you are doing academics be sure not to fry the cns until after you are done with that. You'll have a hard time focusing properly.

[Anonymous No.5357846]

>>5357444
probably a troll or an engineer.

[Anonymous No.5357898]

Is it possible to live an interesting life as a scientist? Because I was reading the wiki pages of different mathematicians and scientists and for the most part it just amounted to:
>Born in X, did well in studies
>Went to Y university, studied under N, R, and G
>Conducted PhD in S
>Died from natural causes/suicide because nazis

Compare this to the average artist, who's bio is something like:
>Lived homeless for a year
>Traveled around world
>Participated in civil war
>Became libertine and raped/murdered some hooker
>Other interesting shit

Is it just that most scientists are boring people? Or that it takes up so much time you cant have adventures? What is it?

[Anonymous No.5357895]

>>5357359
>this is what I'm told
oh man, I really lol'd. Theoretical relationships.
>>5357329
Well, what do you like to do in free time? What is you passion? Do it.

[Anonymous No.5357902]

>>5357898
>Is it just that most scientists are boring people? Or that it takes up so much time you cant have adventures? What is it?
Well, scientists are mainly people who have high standards, responsibilities. Also I don't think they could work being homeless, doing drugs and having to place in the world to rest.

[Anonymous No.5357903]

I've always wanted to be good at piano but I treat it the key notes as a series of steps and I think thats the wrong approach.

[Anonymous No.5357908]

>>5357902
But lets say that I don't have high standards or responsibilities, could I still run around doing drugs and raping people if I'm a mathematician? Its not like I'd need a lab or anything to work on maths. Has this been done?

[Anonymous No.5357912]

>>5357908
I guess that would depend on what kind of drugs and what effect they have on your cognitive abilities.

[Anonymous No.5357916]

>>5357908
well, in the age of internet and information you could do that. Also you might need university computing power if you are doing applied maths or something like that. But you can try out this new way of doing math being homeless.

[Anonymous No.5357929]

>>5357912
I don't plan on anything extreme, mostly I just want to run around not being responsible and getting in fights/traveling

>>5357916
Thats good to know, thanks. I know that Galois was sort of like this, so I figure it could be done. Is there any way to publish papers without needing a connection to a university?

[Anonymous No.5357935]

>>5357444
This isn't related to doing science, it's literature, but check out Greg egan. He has a background in math and writes hard science books using WORLDS CREATED OUT OF UNIVERSES WITH ALTERNATIVE LAWS OF PHYSICS. Permutation city is his most famous. Diaspora is built out of wang tiles. That's pretty cool.

I think flatland might have been one of the first modern hard science fiction novels.

As for expressing things with math, most people cannot. Science results aren't somthing that's personal, but the discovery process and the frameworks that are constructed are unique to the few who come to the same independent conclusion. If you're at the forefront of research, which few are, you can do those things. The amazing part of math is giving definitions to constructs. This has been sought after for things like the infinitesimal- how the hell do you rigorously define that through proof? Some argue that math is discovered, but it must first be caught. The way you catch those monsters and bring them back for all to see is something to behold, since you're essentially transforming those concepts into something that can be communicated and manipulated.

Lastly, the personal side of mathematical and even scientific discovery exists, but it's rarely relayed to others. The personal side comes from your own mind. What sort of memories allowed you to reach those conclusions? It's hard to talk about this because even the people who do the discovering can't explain themselves and keep observations on what they're doing. But if you read the personal memoirs of some mathematicians, you can see a personal beauty in how they describe their thinking process. However, you must understand the math to understand all the possible decisions they could have made at those points.

[Anonymous No.5357945]

>>5357908
>drugs

I can see future mathematicians delving into this. Making math into pop culture and making the users into icons.... now that'd be crazy. But first math will have to find a way into a presentable, expressible form.

It's fine the way it is, but if you want to look at it from another perspective...

[Anonymous No.5357959]

I play DnD and other role playing games. Can't get more creative than that.

[Anonymous No.5357967]

>>5357945
Awesome, I could start a pop culture movement.

But seriously, I don't really understand why math doesn't attract more 'artist types'. It seems like it would go well with how it works.

[Anonymous No.5357988]

do drugs, be social, play music

btw i go to one of the best physics universities and tons of us physics dudes do drugs. and its not just the slacker ones, most of the smartest ones do a bunch of acid and smoke all the time. the math dudes here do even more than us
so dont be afraid that drugs will make you a bad physicist

[Anonymous No.5357992]

>>5357967
>I don't really understand why math doesn't attract more 'artist types'
Because maths is probably the most anti-arts subject for the general population. The Emperor to Art's Yoda. It's unlikely to change too

[Anonymous No.5357997]

>>5357988
don't worry op
it won't make you a bad physicist

[Anonymous No.5358027]

>>5357329
>creative outlet
Mathematics. Mathematics is the single most creative field that exists.

[Anonymous No.5358042]

>>5357992
It's just because they aren't skilled artists! Few can appreciate the beauty of mathematics, and fewer can reveal it on their own.

[Anonymous No.5358050]

Artist here, switched my major from Fine Art to STEM as art is great as a hobby but there's so much bullshit involved once you get into it commercially, also pretentious as fuck. I like designing things and drawing but I find those skills to be much more rewarding when put to use problem solving in engineering. I still like drawing and am aesthetically conscious/motivated and do it when I can.

[Anonymous No.5358058]

>>5358042
And you have arts where you take up a paint brush or a camera and go crazy hence why so few if not none of this 'artist types' end up doing maths

[Anonymous No.5358066]

>>5358058
But there are also artists who have written books that are still impacting people thousands of years after they've been created, made beautiful movies, and made extremely complex and high level artwork.

It's more than just one being easier than the other.

[Anonymous No.5358092]

>>5358066
I should have made myself clearer. The idea of making movies and writing novels sounds better than doing maths and that is what gets someone into a specific field. People are mostly going to choose the former if they find they have any artistic merit.
I never meant to say arts is useless, just that picking up a brush and painting is definitely easier than following algebraic rules

[Anonymous No.5358099]

>>5358066
I suppose it is my personal belief that mathematics is the highest form of art. It may be that someone else would consider movies or visual arts to be the highest forms because they are largely more accessible. I don't think that accessibility should be a factor in determining that greatness of a work. The greatest work of art could be out there right now, only truly appreciated by its author.

[Anonymous No.5358101]

>>5358099
And that's why I think mathematics is the highest form of art, because it can be understood in perhaps the least ambiguous way, yet it retains austerity and beauty.

[Anonymous No.5358104]

i draw pictures and patterns sometimes even biological structures. If youve ever seen diagrams of anatomists like golgi you will know that biology wasa as much an artform before computer models as it was a science. It is a lot of fun and its not about being good but about enjoying it.

[Anonymous No.5358210]

>>5357489
I would agree, but really no math is involved for you to understand it properly(ie. dumbed-down).

[Anonymous No.5358236]

>>5357329
I play drums.

[Anonymous No.5358349]

>>5358210
I wa strying to point out that you can amuse yourself with math, most of those guys know higher math.

[Anonymous No.5358368]

>>5357329
Acrylic painting, running, lots of sleeping, reading. I'm trying to find more stuff to do. I'm back home for break and I don't have tons of friends here so I don't know how I'm going to entertain myself...

>>5358027
I never really considered math "creative." Too many rules to follow. I enjoy it, definitely, but I'm not going to go home and do math problems. I feel like I want to solve something for a reason, that there's something to look for, right?

[Anonymous No.5358382]

>>5358368
>math
>rules to follow
le what

[Anonymous No.5358415]

>>5358368
>>>5358027
>I never really considered math "creative." Too many rules to follow. I enjoy it, definitely, but I'm not going to go home and do math problems. I feel like I want to solve something for a reason, that there's something to look for, right?

Mathematics is art unrestrained by physical law.

[Anonymous No.5358426]

I make comics of obscene nature for my friends. The last one was about space nazis invading planet Avocados 17, where gorgeous and busty Amazonian warriors lived. The comic was about Hans Gert, a 17 year old recruit who discovers his sexuality during the Reich's invasion. 24 pages, 14 story, 10 sex, a friend has it.

[Anonymous No.5358436]

>>5358415
Indeed. Take for example, there are music composers who use mathematics to make music.

[Anonymous No.5358506]

Does anyone here do any juggling?

I'm pretty good, pic is unfortunately not me, here he is though

http://juggling.tv/11770

[Anonymous No.5358507]

>>5358368
>do math problems
Have you ever done any real math? Not just computational math?

[Anonymous No.5358522]

>>5358507
Elaborate on real math or post a link where I can read about it

[Anonymous No.5358587]

>>5358522
Well, what I really meant by "real math" is creating new math. A mathematician is someone who reveals mathematical truths.

Of course, there are sometimes many ways of revealing the same truths, or theorems. The creativity comes about in choosing how to communicate these truths.
A theorem is true, and was true before we knew it and will be true after humans are extinct. Of course, our understanding of what the theorem really means gains in profundity as the mathematics around the theorem grows. A mathematician feels that a theorem is better understood when it can be extended to apply in a broader setting than previously known. For instance, Fermat's little theorem for the nonzero integers modulo a prime generalizes to Euler's theorem for the invertible numbers modulo any nonzero integer, which generalizes to Lagrange's theorem for finite groups.

So "real" math is about this, not just "find the roots of this polynomial" or "find the sum of this series" or "what is 345+9234?"

[Anonymous No.5358665]

I play guitar when I get bored of whatever I'm doing. Then I go back to whatever I was doing when I get bored of guitar.

I also analyze stock charts and option prices for 'fun'. I basically just paper trade, but only on QQQ options. I've learned a lot from it, and it's pretty fun, but I'm a fan of both math and money.

I also do some programming in C.

[Anonymous No.5358935]

>>5358507
I just finished Calc II. (yeah, I'm an undergrad fag) Next semester I'm taking Calc III and Intro to Abstract Math. Is that when the "creative" stuff starts?

[Anonymous No.5358948]

>>5357329
Psychedelic drugs.

[Anonymous No.5358970]

what kind of music do you guys like?

[Anonymous No.5359003]

>>5358970

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsnvaeXhfBM&list=PLF1E6163BF5FC9FE3&index=1

[Anonymous No.5359010]

>>5358935
It starts whenever you want it to.

[Anonymous No.5359014]

>>5358935
Where do you think "Calc II" came from? Someone creative created it! (several people, actually.)

[Anonymous No.5359019]

>>5358587

anyway you slice it math is just about memorizing definitions, axioms and rules and applying them in some sort of deductive way.

People who argue "real" math vs "computation" are desperate to give the field more credibility than it deserves.

All math is reducible to redundancies and tautologies. It's only merit is in its application.

[Anonymous No.5359038]

>>5359003
i fucking love nujabes

[Anonymous No.5359059]

>>5359038
>>5359003


>nujabes
>automatic 10/10 cozy all the time

[Anonymous No.5359080]

>>5359010
>>5359014
So how would I start to be creative with math? I've sort of always felt that creating new math requires a higher level of training. No?

>>5359003
Never heard this before, but I like it.

[Anonymous No.5359091]

>>5359003
This makes me think of that show Samurai Champloo. Related?

[Anonymous No.5359094]

>>5359091

yes, nujabes created the soundtrack to Samurai Champloo.

[Anonymous No.5359103]

>>>5359091
>yes, nujabes created the soundtrack to Samurai Champloo.

r.i.p nujabes

[Anonymous No.5359104]

>>5359094
Well that explains it. Sounds good.

[Anonymous No.5359114]

>>5359003

This guy makes good music, though most tributes to nujabes are pretty meh in my opinion. The ones in the modal soul classics II tribute album are great though.

[Anonymous No.5359148]

>>5359019
I've read your stupidity on this board before.

[Anonymous No.5359165]

Why are you studying physics 24/7? You some kinda fag?

[Anonymous No.5359172]

>>5359103
Fuaark samurai champloo was good. So was Afro samurai and Ergo Proxy. Know if there are any other outstanding anime like these?

[Anonymous No.5360970]

>>5357992
Because the way maths is currently taught is wrong. Can somebody post that long pdf of a mathematicians ranting against modern education's approach to maths?

[Anonymous No.5360973]

>>5359019
>All math is reducible to redundancies and tautologies. It's only merit is in its application.
Eh? I thought formalism is dead?

[Anonymous No.5360976]

>>5359080
I always thought that Logic requires you to think out of the box to prove theorems.

[Anonymous No.5360980]

What would Feynman do?

[Anonymous No.5360982]

>>5360980
Break into people's home for fun. But since this is the modern age, probably cracking into people's facebook account.

[Anonymous No.5360984]

>>5358935
yeah, I would say math starts getting difficult if you're not creative at calc three. For instance you really have to get creative if you want to understand topology which discusses 5th dimensional space. basically I just took calc 3 this semester and i should be getting an A assuming i don't completely bomb the final.
If you have any questions about what to expect i can give you a quick run through of the course. I'm actually taking my final tomorrow.

[Anonymous No.5360989]

>>5360984
>For instance you really have to get creative if you want to understand topology which discusses 5th dimensional space.
That makes no sense, by the way.

[Anonymous No.5360990]

>>5360982
I wish Feynman would break into my home. He could be like physics santa.

[Anonymous No.5360992]

>>5360990
he could introduce you to the mass and volume of his dick

[Anonymous No.5360994]

>>5360989
what?

[Anonymous No.5360999]

>>5360992
I would like nothing better than taking based Feynman's glorious cock in any hole he so desired.

[Anonymous No.5361000]

>>5357329
i went mad and quit physics this year. starting up education instead

[Anonymous No.5361004]

>>5361000

[Anonymous No.5361007]

Don't thank me, thank rape.

[Anonymous No.5361025]

>>5360984
I meant to say "which discusses the dimentionality of shapes like the mobius strip, the klein bottle, and the trefoil knot".

[Anonymous No.5361026]

>>5360984
pst. hey. kid. people in real life might think cal III is difficult. but. you on /sci/ now. almost everyone here has taken that. and beyond. i mean. every engineering major at my. school has to take it. mk?

[Anonymous No.5361029]

>>5361026
i wrote that comment in response to someone who just took calc 2 and is about to take calc three. Not trying to brag because i know im not. I'm just giving the offer of help.

[Anonymous No.5361135]

i learn to program, it's a great creative outlet, is a lot of fun and is an incredibly sellable skill for later life.

[Anonymous No.5361144]

Make electronic music. Drink, smoke, and merrymake with friends. Climb rocks and boulder. Explore natural parks and cities.

[Anonymous No.5361155]

I play pen and paper roleplaying games. I create worlds using the real world formation mechanics and weather patterns, they are always much more fun to play in.