For many of us, it’s been years since we sat in a science or math classroom and explored the material bases of our universe. And then, even if we were engaged by the material being studied, the seemingly esoteric language of symbols posed a daunting barrier to further progress. In other instances, poor instruction may have been behind a former student’s lost interest in mathematics or physical sciences.
Still, I think it’s incredibly rare to find a person who isn’t instantly fascinated by the wonders of nature when the universe is explained in terms they understand. I grew up watching Mr. Wizard, 3-2-1 Contact and Square One on PBS. Hell, the only DVDs I own besides The Big Lebowski are those in the box set for Carl Sagan’s Cosmos. But poor high school math teachers can do wonders for math confidence, giving birth to legions of writers every day.
Excuses aside, I probably could have made a decent physical scientist and to this day I ingest the latest science news available. And really, with organizations like Seed, TED and Scientific American making it easier and easier for laypeople to become acquainted with the latest in scientific thought, there is absolutely no reason to remain ignorant.
A simple place to start is c, the symbols that represents the constant of the speed of light. Most of us recognize Einstein’s foundation-shaking formula E=mc2 even if we’re not sure exactly what it means or how to apply it. Take it away, Scientists of Nottingham!
See, that wasn’t so painful, was it? In fact, I’m willing to bet your mind was slightly blown by what you just learned. There are no limits to the wonderment, small or large, that the universe provides. I’d bet that people would be less attracted to supernatural nonsense if only they were more attuned to the magnificence and majesty that the natural world holds. In the same manner people would also be less susceptible to pseudoscience, snake-oil and other hokum like creationism or astrology. Humans are curious, imaginative creatures and those faculties develop in the same manner as our muscles. Curiosity and imagination strengthen and expand with knowledge, but are apt to atrophy when they fall into disuse (or are fed with garbage).
For geeks (or dorks or nerds) like myself, sites like Sixty Symbols are a true gift. I’m going to spend the rest of the night watching the rest of the videos and then check back later when they post more. That’s right, there are still quite a few in the making (newly updated ones are conveniently marked). Of course nobody’s going to stop you from watching these 7 or 8 times and by then you could probably start teaching the material yourself. Hey, college is expensive, so why not let some of the best educate you for free?
Learn your fill at SixtySymbols.com.
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