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Sunday, October 5, 2008
Registration Queues for (from left to right):
1. Chemistry and BioChem (CBC)
2. Math and Econs (MAEC)
3. Math (MAS)
4. Physics (PAP)
Random Friend: "Hi Wei Ren, long time no see.... So what have you been up to lately?"
Me: "Oh, fine I guess.... I'm studying Physics at NTU."
Random Friend: (Upper lip curls up in a Stallone like manner) "PHYSICS?"
Me: "Err yeah...."
I realise I get that a lot.... I guess most people have an intuitive aversion to physics. Perhaps it's the education system (l STRONGLY believe that neither physics or math are very well taught in schools), perhaps most just had a horrible experience with physics during their JC days (which could be attributed to the poor teaching of it). Well, I never had a "good" experience with physics during school days either (I got a C for my 'A's ), but I still think physics is cool.
I guess i think, beyond it being interesting, that it adds perspective to things.
An excerpt from The Pleasure of Finding Things Out by Richard Feynman:
I have a friend who's an artist and he's sometimes taken to a view which I don't agree with very well. He'll hold up a flower and say,"Look how beautiful it is," and I'll agree, I think. And he says-"you see, I as an artist see how beautiful this is, but you as a scientist, oh, take all this apart and it becomes a dull thing." And I think he's kind of nutty. First of all, the beauty he sees is available to other people and to me too, I believe, although I might not be quite as aesthetically refined as he is; but I can appreciate the beauty of a flower. At the same time I see much more than he sees. I can imagine cells in there, the complicated actions inside which also have a beauty. I mean, it's not just beauty at this dimensionof one centimeter, there is also beauty at a smaller dimension, the inner structure. Also the processes, the fact that the colors in the flower evolved in order to attract insects to pollinate it is interesting - it means insects can see the colour. It adds a question: Does this aesthetic sense also exist in the lower forms? Why is it aesthetic? All kinds of interesting questions which shows that a science knowledge only adds to the excitement and mystery and awe of a flower. It only adds; I don't understand how it subtracts.____________________________________________________________________________________
