Mathematics is the sense you never knew you had | Eddie Woo | TEDxSydney
TEDx Talks・9 minutes read
Eddie shares his journey from feeling like an outsider in mathematics to embracing it as a career, highlighting the practical and beautiful aspects of the subject and its prevalence in nature, such as fractals and the golden ratio. Mathematics is presented as a way to perceive patterns, relationships, and logical connections in the world, challenging the common perception of it being a subject for outsiders due to its complexity.
Insights
- Eddie's journey showcases how a shift in perspective can transform a subject from daunting to fascinating, emphasizing that mathematics is not just about numbers but also about creativity, problem-solving, and beauty.
- The understanding that mathematics is a language of patterns and connections in the world, as highlighted by Eddie, suggests that it is a fundamental tool for deciphering the complexities of nature and unraveling the mysteries of the universe.
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Recent questions
Why is mathematics often perceived as complex?
Due to numbers, formulas, and calculations.
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Summary
00:00
From Outsider to Math Enthusiast: Eddie's Journey
- Mathematics is often seen as a subject for outsiders due to its complexity with numbers, formulas, and calculations.
- The speaker, Eddie, shares his journey from being an outsider to embracing mathematics as his career.
- In school, Eddie excelled in English and history, feeling out of place in a math-focused environment.
- A professor at Sydney University recognized Eddie's perseverance in math and encouraged him to become a math teacher due to a shortage of educators in Australia.
- Eddie's initial perception of mathematics was similar to his early view of music - as a tedious, joyless exercise.
- At university, Eddie discovered the practical and beautiful aspects of mathematics, realizing it's about asking the right questions and forming new problem-solving approaches.
- Mathematics is described as a sense, allowing us to perceive patterns, relationships, and logical connections in the world.
- Eddie highlights the prevalence of mathematical patterns in nature, such as fractals, and explains the significance of the golden ratio in creating patterns like the sunflower's spiral.
