Week Ten

-Where is the line between math and science? Is mathematics a science?
Well, what really is science too. Dictionary.com says:
Science is a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws: the mathematical sciences.

Maybe anything can be considered a science too because subjects are usually based on facts though maybe not liberal arts as they have more interpretations. Still there are computer sciences and engineering which deals with a lot of science too so where do you draw the line of whether its a pure science like biology, physics and chemistry, to where it is applying science Why is it that biology, physics and chemistry are the main sciences? Either way, you need math to do science but you don't need science to do math most of the time!

- Does training in mathematics effect your thinking in all areas of life? Do mathematicians think differently? - Do mathematicians think alike?
Yes a math background does effect the way you think in other areas but that same can be said for other subjects. A lot of people say that mathematicians think differently but everyone thinks differently. Its not like all of us think of the same things, all the time. It depends on how you learned it and everything else.

- Is mathematics independent of application meaningful?
Yes, because you never know when it can become applicable to someone else at some other point in time. A lot of time with the research, people always ask why are you doing that or how are you going to use that for anything important? And all research is important and all of it is useful for something.

- Would it be appropriate for the university to offer a course on the mathematics of gambling?
Probability is probably the closest the school is ever going to get with a course on the mathematics of gambling.

- When we write down equations to describe the real world, how do we know the success is not just coincidence?
If you can prove that the equation you wrote is true with a solid mathematical proof, it should work right?

- Some people are incapable of understanding mathematics.
It depends on the mathematics really. In some sense, everyone can understand math because you use math everyday. But its interesting to observe that it is perfectly ok for people to say that they hate math but if someone was to say they hate reading, it is really looked upon as something bad because so many people say that they dont understand math. I think it depends on the culture and if the particular culture finds that its acceptable to say that you don't like math.

Week Nine

Thoughts:
What I thought was very interesting about the talk given by the high school teacher that had done industry work for Friendly's was the project he had given his students. I probably would have really enjoying having a project of making a boomerang in high school. In my class in high school, we made polyhedrons and those were fun too. Someone had actually made a polyhedron so big that it couldn't fit through the door.

As for the research, if you feel that we aren't getting very far with the speghetti then I'm willing to change the project. I would just want to have a project that can produce results.

Week Eight

Other Questions:

I don't have a particular question that hasn't been answered with regards to the speakers and the information they presented. They gave a lot of information towards their personal expierence in becoming what they are now and I know its difficult to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life and I'm still kindof really unsure about that but I guess I'm pretty satisfied at the moment with having learned what other people have done.