This part does seem like the notation is responsible to at least some extent. I definitely have that experience myself when I read things like econometrics and

This part does seem like the notation is responsible to at least some extent. I definitely have that experience myself when I read things like econometrics and machine learning papers. I know the concepts and could probably handle the words, but the pages full of bizarre elongated Greek letters that has to be translated with some kind of nonexistent Rosetta Stone just induces a bit of panic.