I is for Inquisitive
inquisitive, adj.: Inclined to investigate; eager for knowledge.
Many of my teachers at GCSE were incredibly frustrated with me because I hated simple work. Or rather, I hated simple work when I’d already understood more complicated things.
I was inquisitive and still am, and found out many things (particularly in physics) that went far beyond what we learnt at GCSE. I learnt about relativity (both special and general), quantum physics (though not in complex detail of course), red shift, wormholes, four-dimensional geometry, imaginary numbers, nuclear fission and fusion, star life cycles, and speculations about gravitons and a unifying Theory of Everything. So when it came to GCSE Physics and we were doing gravity, I expected something more than Aristotle, Galileo and Newton. Where was Einstein? Apparently he didn’t feature until Physics A2 level, and then only briefly. I switched off after that. We weren’t moving fast or deep enough for my inquisitive nature.
It was my inquisitive nature that led me to install Linux, and still leads me in finding out as much as possible about the inner workings of my computer. I am eager for knowledge and always have been; I find chemistry so interesting that I am terrified of forgetting it after I start my music degree.
When people hear I’m only doing one science and am going to do an arts degree they can’t reconcile it with the Matthew they used to know. I was the science geek, who always had questions and was never satisfied, who wanted to go deeper. It’s such a pity that cynicism about exams turned me off that, and directed it away from school subjects. My inquisitiveness towards programming, web design and computing has distracted me far too much from schoolwork, and leaves me now with very little time to revise.
I’m also very inquisitive about theology, and while I’m not doing a theology degree (some of my friends are) I’m still reading books about it avidly (and can hold a discussion full of -ologies with my dad almost without asking what some of them mean).
Learning new things about God and his creation still fascinates me, however technical or geeky the bits I choose to look into are. It’s a life’s work, learning, and one I look forward to.
Matthew @ 15:12, June 12, 2005 to ABC | Comments (4)
Comments:
Mr E
I don’t know how much you reckon you know about relativity — particularly general relavity — but to understand it properly you need far more advanced maths than you do at A-level, and certainly more than can be expected at GCSE level. Special Relativity is a second year course in the Cambridge Maths tripos, and as for general relativity I don’t know. My knowledge of the subject is limited to E=mc^2, mass increases close to speed of light, m = (gamma)m0 = m0/√(1-v^2/c^2) etc. Besides, wouldn’t it be sensible to have a decent grasp of Newtonian mechanics before embarking on the later theories. Even things like Newton’s law of gravitation F = Gm1m2/r^2 aren’t covered at GCSE, if I remember correctly.
And for reference: http://phrontistery.info/sciences.html
Comment added at 23:23, June 14, 2005
Matthew
You said it yourself that we never did the maths of Newton’s theories at GCSE, yet we studied Newton’s theories. It was/is the same with me and Einstein’s relativity. No need to know the maths – I mean, everyone understands gravity without the maths, don’t they? Relativity makes enough sense in my head as it is without having to go into the maths side.
Comment added at 09:57, June 15, 2005
Mr E
But do people really understand gravity? Why gravity is always attractive, for example, is still puzzling scientists.
Comment added at 21:47, June 15, 2005
Matthew
Do people really understand anything? No. There are different levels of understanding.
Comment added at 12:44, June 16, 2005
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