21–30 of 84 posts
Yes, it’s the equivalent to the Nobel in that it’s yearly with a big monetary prize, but the most prestigious award in the field remains the Fields medal, which is only awarded every four years.
The age limit of 40 kind of ruins the Fields medal as the top prize tho. Sure, getting it is absolutely huge, but what about the people whose work's value is apparent only after decades?
Yes, it’s the equivalent to the Nobel in that it’s yearly with a big monetary prize, but the most prestigious award in the field remains the Fields medal, which is only awarded every four years.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The age limit of 40 kind of ruins the Fields medal as the top prize tho. Sure, getting it is absolutely huge, but what about the people whose work's value is apparent only after decades?
This kind of age restriction is indeed pretty stupid, Andrew Wiles was too old for the Fields medal for example.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I suppose for that to happen, the world needs better math lessons in school. Most have allmost traumatic experiences, so they now don't want to know anything about math at all. (I also only started to enjoy math, when I could apply it with programming, before it was not traumatic, but mostly boring, but we also did not cover any fun parts like Mandelbrot etc)
I don't think aptitude is the reason. A lot of people are physically unfit and have traumatic sports education experiences, probably even more so than math, but athletes remain stars. The issue is entirely cultural. Entrepreneurs, celebrities, socialites are venerated, scientists aren't. There's no mainstream cultural recognition of scientists and science itself, at best people get attention who monetize research. Ju…
The "issue" is entirely about money. Sports make so much money because so many have fun watching them. And it's an issue only if you want fame so badly as to make an issue of the fact that what you do is anonymous.
The world needs more recognition of good mathematics and mathematicians. Really love the work quantum magazine does on covering mathematics. So many implications for the rest of the world.
"Michel Talagrand wins Abel Prize for his work on randomness/stochastic processes" would have been a good headline to have, but they chose theirs deliberately to not reveal the import information at a glance.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm always very confused by this. Why are maths lessons more traumatic than, say, history or biology or foreign language lessons? I mean learning lists of irregular verbs is not precisely most people's idea of fun. And yet only about maths do people speak with such dramatic language. There must be something beyond what's happening in schools themselves that makes people react this way. I just can't work out what it i…
A language is something where people understand, they can use it in the real world (but french still can also be hated for example). But Math beyond the basics is perceived as unnecessary torture, with no practical use, one has to endure to get a diploma. So yes, my proposal would be to teach it more in a practical, applied way.
I'm only picking on history or languages as examples. I could have picked literature, or almost anything, really. A lot of what is taught at school isn't necessarily a bunch of super applied skills
There are lots of bad teachers in every discipline, and I'm sure that everything could be taught a lot better. I'm still not getting why maths is singled out.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
A language is something where people understand, they can use it in the real world (but french still can also be hated for example). But Math beyond the basics is perceived as unnecessary torture, with no practical use, one has to endure to get a diploma. So yes, my proposal would be to teach it more in a practical, applied way.
What about history? Don't people perceive it as even more unnecessary than maths? Shouldn't we expect to see all sorts of theories on how history should be taught in more practical ways if your explanation is correct? I'm only picking on history or languages as examples. I could have picked literature, or almost anything, really. A lot of what is taught at school isn't necessarily a bunch of super applied skills Ther…
Plain math is abstract. No humans involved, just numbers and formulas. Nothing to connect to, unless the teacher brings in the real world. Because math is awesome at describing and predicting real world events. But that is usually applied math, like physics. And I loved physics (and history) in school. But math? My brain refused as it saw no benefit except for the needed grades.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I suppose for that to happen, the world needs better math lessons in school. Most have allmost traumatic experiences, so they now don't want to know anything about math at all. (I also only started to enjoy math, when I could apply it with programming, before it was not traumatic, but mostly boring, but we also did not cover any fun parts like Mandelbrot etc)
I'm always very confused by this. Why are maths lessons more traumatic than, say, history or biology or foreign language lessons? I mean learning lists of irregular verbs is not precisely most people's idea of fun. And yet only about maths do people speak with such dramatic language. There must be something beyond what's happening in schools themselves that makes people react this way. I just can't work out what it i…
Many math teachers do not know math, and cannot answer the question "what will I need it for?"
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think aptitude is the reason. A lot of people are physically unfit and have traumatic sports education experiences, probably even more so than math, but athletes remain stars. The issue is entirely cultural. Entrepreneurs, celebrities, socialites are venerated, scientists aren't. There's no mainstream cultural recognition of scientists and science itself, at best people get attention who monetize research. Ju…
"A lot of people are physically unfit and have traumatic sports education experiences" Good point, but I would argue more people are unfit for math, than unfit for sports education. (At least in europe) "There's no mainstream cultural recognition of scientists and science itself" With the exception of Einstein yes. And maybe Stephen Hawking. "The issue is entirely cultural." And yes it is, but I believe this can be c…
For me it was a self enforcing effect where it also impacted how I viewed myself and I did not feel confident enough socially.
Obesity is one of the few remaining social stigmas that are "acceptable" to joke about. I don't think the average person know how it makes you feel when people passing you in the street look at you and make comments or try to avoid you.
There are so many micro aggressions that happens where each stare, laugh or comment just breaks you down mentally and isolates you socially.