Human Intelligence:

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by john walker's workshop

I got an A in 9th grade algebra, never used it again. It was just like figuring out a puzzle, mostly common sense.

I wasn't good at math. Algebra and trigonometry came hard for me. I never felt like I knew what I was doing. The first year of calculus in college I had to memorize every concept just to get through. I passed the course without any real understanding.
Then I took my first physics class and everything fell into place. Suddenly it all made sense. It was like playing a film of a building demolition double time and in reverse. In senior year I was a Calculus 1 tutor for some kids.
The U policy was that you had to take Calculus before you would understand physics, but it was the opposite for me. Intelligence isn't the same for everyone.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I wasn't good at math. Algebra and trigonometry came hard for me. I never felt like I knew what I was doing. The first year of calculus in college I had to memorize every concept just to get through. I passed the course without any real understanding.
Then I took my first physics class and everything fell into place. Suddenly it all made sense. It was like playing a film of a building demolition double time and in reverse. In senior year I was a Calculus 1 tutor for some kids.
The U policy was that you had to take Calculus before you would understand physics, but it was the opposite for me. Intelligence isn't the same for everyone.

Wow, it was the same for me. I got a low score on the math SAT but nearly aced the physics ACT. Numbers puzzled me for a long time but when it came to applying them it was ezpz. I was always better with hands on.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I wasn't good at math. Algebra and trigonometry came hard for me. I never felt like I knew what I was doing. The first year of calculus in college I had to memorize every concept just to get through. I passed the course without any real understanding.
Then I took my first physics class and everything fell into place. Suddenly it all made sense. It was like playing a film of a building demolition double time and in reverse. In senior year I was a Calculus 1 tutor for some kids.
The U policy was that you had to take Calculus before you would understand physics, but it was the opposite for me. Intelligence isn't the same for everyone.

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Wow, it was the same for me. I got a low score on the math SAT but nearly aced the physics ACT. Numbers puzzled me for a long time but when it came to applying them it was ezpz. I was always better with hands on.

Glad I'm not alone. Physical Chemistry was very difficult for me in college and then took a Structural Molecular Biochemistry class and it was as if cosmic tumblers aligned and studying x-ray crystallography and the Fourier Transform, it became natural and fun. Loved that class, sometimes wish I had gone into research but don't have the patience for it.