Mathematics Education

The continual climb towards abstraction.

How high can you climb?

28 Aug 2020

Research Priorities

What researchers spend their time on versus what they need to.

“I’m sure nobody will care if I make a bunch of boring slides.”

26 Aug 2020

Students thinking they are learning everything, while teachers thinking they don't know much.

Teacher: “I’m basically guiding you through a harrowing mountain range where one bad step leads to death.”

24 Aug 2020

Scientists can get stuck in the trap of saying things are possible.

“My scientific colleagues are not going to be happy with me when they hear about this…”

21 Aug 2020

Thinking scientists are special.

Scientists are people too, and it would do us all well to not forget that.

19 Aug 2020

Motivation rocks back and forth.

Seriously, it’s like my mind wants to rebel each time I sit down.

17 Aug 2020

How difficult it is to get a numerical result.

“This plot looks easy to make.”

“Yeah… there were some twists and turns.”

(Hat-tip to my friend Benjamin for this idea.)

14 Aug 2020

A researcher sticking to the buzzwords.

“I don’t even notice the sound anymore. I usually work on these kind of things, so I’m used to it.”

12 Aug 2020

Physicists can afford to be a little sloppier.

I’m on a roll with this “mathematics is mightier than physics” theme!

10 Aug 2020

Physics bends the rules a bit.

It would probably be more satisfying for the mathematicians if the physicists didn’t actually succeed by breaking the rules.

07 Aug 2020