I read a study which found that students who listened to classical music (can't remember which pieces, but I think they were by Beethoven & Chopin) whilst studying, and had it playing while they slept, performed considerably better in a computing exam the following day, than a control group. Not a connection with maths, but interesting none the less...
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
So if a kid never shows any sign of engineering ability such as model making or lego on suppose you talk them out of engineering as a career? I bet you'd have never had a lot of great engineers with that viewpoint.
Why should engineering aptitude be confined to model making? That is boswellox. The ability and inclination to systemize - engineering - is not confined to such a narrow field. Engineering isn't about engines, I never said it was. My field of engineering is not particularly technical. There are engineering snobs who would say it isn't 'proper' engineering (especially mechanical engineers, which, nominally, is what I do) but I have a more open mind.
There is evidence that there is a genetic component to engineering. I don't doubt that not all engineers have this genetic pattern, many do and more to the point, many who have it are not good at other things. My Dad would probably have been an engineer had he had sight. As it was he became a physiotherapist - engineering of the skeleton - instead - still systemizing problems to find a solution, as an engineer does.
The link between music and maths is well known but it isn't exclusive. You can learn to play and read music without being good at maths and you can be good at maths and have no interest or aptitude for music. But there is a correlation that's been observed in a significant number of people.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
So if a kid never shows any sign of engineering ability such as model making or lego on suppose you talk them out of engineering as a career? I bet you'd have never had a lot of great engineers with that viewpoint.
Why should engineering aptitude be confined to model making? That is boswellox. The ability and inclination to systemize - engineering - is not confined to such a narrow field. Engineering isn't about engines, I never said it was. My field of engineering is not particularly technical. There are engineering snobs who would say it isn't 'proper' engineering (especially mechanical engineers, which, nominally, is what I do) but I have a more open mind.
There is evidence that there is a genetic component to engineering. I don't doubt that not all engineers have this genetic pattern, many do and more to the point, many who have it are not good at other things. My Dad would probably have been an engineer had he had sight. As it was he became a physiotherapist - engineering of the skeleton - instead - still systemizing problems to find a solution, as an engineer does.
The link between music and maths is well known but it isn't exclusive. You can learn to play and read music without being good at maths and you can be good at maths and have no interest or aptitude for music. But there is a correlation that's been observed in a significant number of people.
That's my whole point. You aren't born as engineer often characterised by those narrow views of fixing things or similar, you're made into one through education, experience and interest. It's a long period of education and training. There has never been a born engineer.
Left home at 3am. Arrived at my Daughter's at 7.30. Just been to Air BnB, it's a pigsty, unmade/ uncleaned beds, not even remotely acceptable. Now in Premier Inn. Daughter V upset as she booked Air BnB and now needs to get a refund from someone who doesn't answer her phone / emails. GGRRRR
... don't you both think we're all intended to do whatever we're intended to do?...
How many times have you heard someone who's an author or a composer say they don't know where it comes from? We're all just characters in a story called life (The Dream of Tiresias explained it well) and we all have skills and aptitudes that suit what we do. I doubt I could ever be a composer or write or be an engineer...actually, there's not much I can do. Although saying that, I can bend the top joints of my thumbs backward to make roughly 90 degrees..so G_d gave me something.
@NorthernJoe I think you are misinterpreting my comment. We were talking about the ability to 'see' some aspects of maths without being told how to connect the mathematical idea to the practical application. I wasn't suggesting you can be born knowing how to design an aeroplane. Obviously.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
To this day I can estimate in less than half the time it takes my husband to work it out correctly. I'm never far off. Close enough is good enough in most cases as far as I'm concerned.
I can do that too. I don't know how I do it, the ability just seemed to come naturally to me. When I started work for a subsidiary of a major bank, not in a financial role, I asked them to explain how they made their money - they were involved in leaseback of multimillion pound plant, machinery and property to blue chip companies. The Finance Director explained that they basically made small % profits on very large deals, which meant big numbers of £. He started to give an example of a deal where they were making well under 1% profit and I said "That's about x". He looked shocked and asked how I'd worked it out so quicky. He was even more baffled when I said I had no idea, I could just do it.
I'm a left hander and my handwriting at school wasn't great although it has improved a lot since. On one occasion when we were given our homework back in class I couldn't read the note the teacher had put on it, so went up and asked him. He went absolutely ballistic and dragged me off the the head master mid class. The Head asked what the problem was and the teacher said I had been insolent. I said I hadn't been insolent I had just asked what the teacher had written as I couldn't read it. The Head looked at the comment, said he couldn't read it either and asked what the teacher had written. A very red faced, flustered and embarrassed teacher said it says "You must write more clearly". Absolutely true I promise.
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Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
There is evidence that there is a genetic component to engineering. I don't doubt that not all engineers have this genetic pattern, many do and more to the point, many who have it are not good at other things. My Dad would probably have been an engineer had he had sight. As it was he became a physiotherapist - engineering of the skeleton - instead - still systemizing problems to find a solution, as an engineer does.
The link between music and maths is well known but it isn't exclusive. You can learn to play and read music without being good at maths and you can be good at maths and have no interest or aptitude for music. But there is a correlation that's been observed in a significant number of people.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Just been to Air BnB, it's a pigsty, unmade/ uncleaned beds, not even remotely acceptable.
Now in Premier Inn.
Daughter V upset as she booked Air BnB and now needs to get a refund from someone who doesn't answer her phone / emails. GGRRRR
@NorthernJoe I think you are misinterpreting my comment. We were talking about the ability to 'see' some aspects of maths without being told how to connect the mathematical idea to the practical application. I wasn't suggesting you can be born knowing how to design an aeroplane. Obviously.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”