DiBeos

The general public has literally no idea what pure mathematics is. I mean zero. And in my opinion, that’s a problem, because not only does pure mathematics itself end up being super misunderstood and unappreciated, but the people who study it are looked at as weird, when they’re actually some of the most intelligent people out there.

I’m Sophia. Like most girls, I specialized in humanities. I grew up attending art classes, reading classic literature, and even ended up graduating in history. Let’s just say that I definitely had no idea what it means for someone to study mathematics for fun. My idea of it was what most people have in mind: the algebra course I took in high school. Why would anyone want to sit around and solve equations for fun?

Then, I met Luca in 2017, who was doing his Bachelor’s in Physics at the time actually. And, when I found that out, I remember asking what I thought was an interesting question, and which now I realize is probably the dumbest question I could’ve asked: “when you walk on the street, do you like to see everything in equations? Like, when you see birds flying, all you think about is how their motion is described mathematically right?”

Yeah, I know. Stupid. But, I am pretty sure you’ve had someone at some point say something similar to you. Like, “oh yes I hated pre-calc in school!” or when you’re watching a movie and some sort of “mad genius” comes on and people ask you: “can you understand what he’s writing?”. Or something like “Why do you even like mathematics? It’s so boring”, or “why would I want to be good at math when I have a calculator in my phone?” I don’t know but, probably you’ve had your fair share of questions from completely ignorant people. Even our relatives, when they ask us about our YouTube channel, say things like “ah now is summer, so probably no one is watching the videos because they’re out of school ”, or “it’s Christmas break, so people don’t have exams now so they don’t watch the videos right?” Which obviously makes no sense – people do it for fun. Laypeople don’t know how amazing the world of mathematics is, and I used to be that way.

But then, over time, by talking to Luca over the years, as he was doing his Master’s Degree in math, sharing his ideas and what he learned, and finally when we started this YouTube channel a few years ago, I started catching on and understanding that I’ve completely changed. 

It occurred to me that I used to enjoy reading books about literature, about different art periods, ancient societies, historical accounts, and now, most of it is just so…boring. I still read philosophy, but when I see all of the art books and history books on my shelf I have no desire whatsoever to read them, like none. These topics seem so small to me now, so superficial, compared to the huge world of mathematics, which is fundamental to the universe. Mathematics is literally the basis of everything.

And fine, of course I look at it from the lens of applied mathematics or physics, because it’s difficult for me to grasp the abstraction of pure math. But even this little part of the field is already so incredible.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to say that humanities fields aren’t important, of course they are, because they’re important for society, humanity and how we live our lives. But, let’s face it, most people do enjoy it and it’s an easier field for people to grasp. Now mathematics, THAT field, is extremely misunderstood by the general public.

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I like the thought experiment that, if aliens ever came to visit us, the only thing we’re sure that we would have in common with them would be math and physics. Yes, they would use different notation and symbols, but the logic would fundamentally be the same. Languages, art, history, psychology, all of these things are important, but they are not universally fundamental, they’re just a study of the human species. That’s all they are. And of course, we need them to operate as a society. They’re crucial, so again I’m not trying to belittle anyone here. But, let’s face it: there’s nothing more fundamental than math, and I think because of that everything else is just kind of secondary.

And that’s precisely what makes me so sad about the fact that pretty much the most fundamental subject in the universe is completely misunderstood by the general public. This doesn’t only mean constant stupid and ignorant questions, but it also means a lack of appreciation and lack of opportunity for mathematicians.

It means that though pretty much every field could use people who study mathematics, they don’t, because they think that all you do all day is add, subtract and multiply stuff in a complicated matter. They don’t understand the “genius” of critical thinking you have to put in to solve a problem, the amount of patience you’ve developed, and they don’t see the amount of abstraction you have to process and make tangible.

I am of course just scratching the surface here. Let me just highlight that I am by no means a mathematician, I am a complete layperson, but one who learned to really appreciate what you do. And I wish that more people could think like that.

I think that maybe a part of it comes from the fact that mathematics is so abstract that it’s completely inaccessible to the general population. If anyone ever tried to pick up a math book they would flip through a few pages and set it right back down, with the thought of “hm this must be useful to make a bridge or something”. Which is why I so appreciate YouTube math channels because, even though by watching them you won’t become a mathematician, they give you a glimpse of what an incredible field it is.

Anyway, this was all just my experience and opinion, so if you disagree with something, just know that my only intention is to say that A LOT more people should show appreciation for what you guys do. So I hope you take this as a big fat compliment.