5 ms·

I remember there being a distinct lack of "closing the loop" on concepts in university math. Day 1 of the class: The derivative calculates the slope of a funct

I remember there being a distinct lack of "closing the loop" on concepts in university math. Day 1 of the class: The derivative calculates the slope of a function Day 2: The integral calculates the area under the curve of the function Days 3-89: Rote exercises deriving and integrating increasingly obscure functions Day 90: Final Exam Spending a few days at the end re-exploring the "big picture day-1" to tie together all of the various strands of knowledge you accumulate over the semester would have made all of it so much more effective.

nerdponx 4y ago
This, bigtime. I loved the 3blue1brown series an example of how to do this better.
deanCommie 4y ago
It's interesting because I was going to argue with you until I applied the same idea to a subject I couldn't care less about if I tried in school, but now think is deeply fascinating: History. See, I loved math. So all through Calculus I could easily remember the big picture. Every time I practiced an Integral I imagined curves and calculating the areas under them and the visual problem and the relevance of what the curve represented in real life and the massive amount of applications it could be used for in the real world lit up my neurons like fireworks in the sky. (Then I went into computer science, and wound up never needing calclus again, based on the type of work I happen to be doing, but alas) But where I really would have wished a constant reinforcement of the "big picture" is History. Cuz it always seemed so pointless and useless. Why are we studying these old dead people, and everything they did. Who cares? They're old, and they're dead, and nothing they did matters to us anymore. Until you grow up, and go from your 20s to your 40s, and suddenly realize oh shit we're living THROUGH history. We're creating history NOW. We're making choices, and we're making mistakes just like those old dead people in history. Old dead people that weren't really any less developed or evolved primates than us. Just equally victims of their circumstance like us, and also agents of change like us. Suddenly history seems much more significant.
- postsantum 4y ago
  Funny enough, I ended up with the opposing view - history doesn't matter, narratives do. During the last year I learned about propaganda, psy ops and myths much more than I knew before. And at the risk of sounding as an edgy teenager, I can vouch for the phrase "History is written by victors" which stopped being a platitude for me and became a part of my worldview
  - BeFlatXIII 4y ago
    I prefer the existentialist "history is written by those who write history." Often, the victors give themselves a better justification for their conquest than admitting that someone bigger and badder may eventually dethrone them. However, some losers write histories praising their new overlords and their incredible military might, not out to gain favor with the new king but to preserve the dignity of the old king. The defeat was inevitable because of the invader's futuristic military powers aided by the Gods (instead of admitting the old king had no strategy).
    - Paul-Craft 3y ago
      In the words of Norm McDonald, "It says here in this history book that luckily, the good guys have won every time. What are the odds?"
      - deanCommie 3y ago
        Funny enough, the very premise of "good guys" existing is proof of the concept we're discussing. Except it's not funny because then it leads to people both-sidesing genocide and actual nazis because the allies also committed war crimes. History is a mess because humanity is a mess. But we like to think that we aren't. Probably as a defense mechanism.
  - deanCommie 3y ago
    You're not wrong but what's the difference between history and narratives? "History" is the study of different narratives to TRY to come to a semblance of truth, but even for recent events this is almost impossible. Pick an example like "Did the US dropping the nuclear bomb on Japan ultimately save lives, or was it unnecessary" and it's impossible to find the truth between 2 conflicting narratives, each fairly justifiable. Another one is, most Soviet Anti-American Propaganda was true.
sizzle 4y ago
I wish I could give this comment hold, straight up put me off math because of this lack of real world application in lower level calc and adhd brain craving meaning and substance.
- sizzle 4y ago
  *Gold

nerdponx 4y ago

This, bigtime. I loved the 3blue1brown series an example of how to do this better.

deanCommie 4y ago

It's interesting because I was going to argue with you until I applied the same idea to a subject I couldn't care less about if I tried in school, but now think is deeply fascinating: History. See, I loved math. So all through Calculus I could easily remember the big picture. Every time I practiced an Integral I imagined curves and calculating the areas under them and the visual problem and the relevance of what the curve represented in real life and the massive amount of applications it could be used for in the real world lit up my neurons like fireworks in the sky. (Then I went into computer science, and wound up never needing calclus again, based on the type of work I happen to be doing, but alas) But where I really would have wished a constant reinforcement of the "big picture" is History. Cuz it always seemed so pointless and useless. Why are we studying these old dead people, and everything they did. Who cares? They're old, and they're dead, and nothing they did matters to us anymore. Until you grow up, and go from your 20s to your 40s, and suddenly realize oh shit we're living THROUGH history. We're creating history NOW. We're making choices, and we're making mistakes just like those old dead people in history. Old dead people that weren't really any less developed or evolved primates than us. Just equally victims of their circumstance like us, and also agents of change like us. Suddenly history seems much more significant.

postsantum 4y ago
Funny enough, I ended up with the opposing view - history doesn't matter, narratives do. During the last year I learned about propaganda, psy ops and myths much more than I knew before. And at the risk of sounding as an edgy teenager, I can vouch for the phrase "History is written by victors" which stopped being a platitude for me and became a part of my worldview
- BeFlatXIII 4y ago
  I prefer the existentialist "history is written by those who write history." Often, the victors give themselves a better justification for their conquest than admitting that someone bigger and badder may eventually dethrone them. However, some losers write histories praising their new overlords and their incredible military might, not out to gain favor with the new king but to preserve the dignity of the old king. The defeat was inevitable because of the invader's futuristic military powers aided by the Gods (instead of admitting the old king had no strategy).
  - Paul-Craft 3y ago
    In the words of Norm McDonald, "It says here in this history book that luckily, the good guys have won every time. What are the odds?"
    - deanCommie 3y ago
      Funny enough, the very premise of "good guys" existing is proof of the concept we're discussing. Except it's not funny because then it leads to people both-sidesing genocide and actual nazis because the allies also committed war crimes. History is a mess because humanity is a mess. But we like to think that we aren't. Probably as a defense mechanism.
- deanCommie 3y ago
  You're not wrong but what's the difference between history and narratives? "History" is the study of different narratives to TRY to come to a semblance of truth, but even for recent events this is almost impossible. Pick an example like "Did the US dropping the nuclear bomb on Japan ultimately save lives, or was it unnecessary" and it's impossible to find the truth between 2 conflicting narratives, each fairly justifiable. Another one is, most Soviet Anti-American Propaganda was true.

sizzle 4y ago

I wish I could give this comment hold, straight up put me off math because of this lack of real world application in lower level calc and adhd brain craving meaning and substance.

sizzle 4y ago
*Gold