Science, math, philosophy - academics, amateurs, art critics, and all else!

[industry]

Here's a place to discuss science and higher learning, whether it be coursework at MIT, the latest news from CERN, your favorite dialogue of Plato, cutting-edge medical research, the fallacies of Freud, the content of silicates on the Moon, the results from your last Turing test, epic literature, moving art, the fossil record of the Cambrian shield, whether or not P = NP; anything to do with the quest for knowledge!




I'll start with a link to one of my favorite video series on Youtube.

Carl Sagan is, I believe, one of the greatest scientific minds and best authors of all time. Astronomer, cosmologist, and undeniably excellent speaker; his message, while perhaps a bit optimistic about our future, still resounds today and inspires many of us to try to make sense of the world around us.

Reid Gower, the editor of these videos, combines some of Sagan's greatest monologues with stirring and relevant imagery. Beautiful, moving, and still relevant years after Carl's death, these are definitely worth the watch.

The Sagan Series, Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY59wZdCDo0&list=PLF17F07CFC3208E29

 

[Italy-kun]

There's this really great philosophy podcast called (I think) The Partially Examined Life, which is just a bunch of philosophy majors who read a text and make really funny and insightful observations about it. I particularly enjoyed the episode on Aristotle's Politics. (By the way, he makes some really thought-provoking arguments in that text. I'd like to read it myself if I could find a copy somewhere.)

 

[Goodbye Blue Monday]

So I'm trying to find a film studies graduate-level course I can take, since one of my interests as a musicologist is film and television music and I think I'd be better at exploring the field if I knew some basic methodology of film studies (besides, like, what I've picked up on TV Tropes and the like).

I also want to start preparing myself this summer, so does anyone know where I could find some basic film studies stuff online?

 

[industrial]

So I'm trying to find a film studies graduate-level course I can take, since one of my interests as a musicologist is film and television music and I think I'd be better at exploring the field if I knew some basic methodology of film studies (besides, like, what I've picked up on TV Tropes and the like).

I also want to start preparing myself this summer, so does anyone know where I could find some basic film studies stuff online?

I really don't know about prep work for film and music graduate work, but my sister complained heavily about this issue - she eventually dived right into some hands-on work, built up a portfolio over the course of two years prior to continuation, and said it was the best choice she ever made in regards to education.

Good luck!

There's this really great philosophy podcast called (I think) The Partially Examined Life, which is just a bunch of philosophy majors who read a text and make really funny and insightful observations about it. I particularly enjoyed the episode on Aristotle's Politics. (By the way, he makes some really thought-provoking arguments in that text. I'd like to read it myself if I could find a copy somewhere.)

I haven't heard of those guys, but I'll definitely put it on my list, thanks! Also, I really enjoyed reading Plato's Republic, that guy was insane! His theories on government and proto-sociology are laughable and really entertaining if you already have a firm grasp on the subject and its history.

Here's a public access translation of Aristotle's Politics if you're interested in revisiting it.
The Internet Classics Archive | Politics by Aristotle

 

[Goodbye Blue Monday]

So I'm trying to find a film studies graduate-level course I can take, since one of my interests as a musicologist is film and television music and I think I'd be better at exploring the field if I knew some basic methodology of film studies (besides, like, what I've picked up on TV Tropes and the like).

I also want to start preparing myself this summer, so does anyone know where I could find some basic film studies stuff online?

I really don't know about prep work for film and music graduate work, but my sister complained heavily about this issue - she eventually dived right into some hands-on work, built up a portfolio over the course of two years prior to continuation, and said it was the best choice she ever made in regards to education.

Good luck!

Thanks! I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "hands-on work" when it comes to my particular field, though.

 

[industrial]

Well, I'm not really sure either - but interning at a theater or recording studio (video editing) or the like might not be a bad idea. My sis is a journalist and picked up work as a photographer then an assistant art director between undergrad and graduate studies. To be honest I don't know a lot about art degrees so that's really all I have.

Myself, I worked as a lab technician for a few years post graduation and the experience really did wonders to prepare me for further study.

 

[Goodbye Blue Monday]

@industrial; That's not what musicology is. Musicology is the academic study of music, kind of like what art history is for visual arts.

If you want to go into something like that you'd study music technology or recording arts, or something of that nature.

(ETA: Don't feel bad, btw. You aren't the first person I had to explain my area of study to, lol.)

 

[industrial]

@industrial; That's not what musicology is. Musicology is the academic study of music, kind of like what art history is for visual arts.

If you want to go into something like that you'd study music technology or recording arts, or something of that nature.

(ETA: Don't feel bad, btw. You aren't the first person I had to explain my area of study to, lol.)

Of course not, thanks for correcting me without making me feel like a moron for not knowing! Maybe I should have consulted with Google before posting, heh.

Like I said, I really do not know much about degrees in the arts, so there you have it.

In the case of musicology, then, maybe blogging or writing pieces for a magazine or local publication on the subject of music - upcoming albums, reviews of concerts, et cetera. Anything that presumes to use the same or similar skill set as your masters or doctorate focuses on will probably benefit you and certainly won't hurt. I'd imagine that reviewing albums, concerts, or operas would mesh nicely with this sort of study; maybe there are even internships, I don't know. Hands on work is often more valuable in terms of invested time than study. I am of course generalizing...
I'm curious - what is your career goal, post academia?

------------------------------

Here's a paraphrased bit of a lecture from my favorite high school physics professor, whose classes are a huge determining factor in my choice of field.

He had a tendency to begin sections with anecdotes, thought experiments, and theory, which made for interesting and thoughtful classes.

Here's a cursory explanation.
That day we were discussing the Doppler Effect, and tachyons were mentioned.
Here's a cursory explanation. Skip this if you know what a tachyon is or don't care.

Spoiler

A tachyon is a (hypothetical, probably non existent) particle travelling at faster than the speed of light, and if one passed by, you would see two images of the particle - one appearing to travel backwards along its approach path and the other appearing to travel forwards. This happens because the particle is travelling faster than the wavefront.

Another example of this effect, if it were possible to do, is of an object moving at greater than the speed of sound that happened to be playing music (and wasn't producing any other sound, void collapse, or anything to interfere). It would not be audible until just as it passed (since it's outrunning the sound it emits) and you would hear the song (highly sped up and higher pitched) in reverse from the object's approach vector, and in regular order (slowed down and lower pitched) from its departure.

And here's something I will never forget and still smile at when I think of it.

Spoiler

Anyways, some smartass in the class asked, "So, what you're saying is if Michael Jackson were moonwalking past you at greater than the speed of light, at the moment of flyby it would appear as if two Michael Jacksons suddenly appeared beside you, one walking normally from the tachyon's approach path and the other moonwalking into the sunset?"

The professor responded, "Yes, exactly."

I think this is the moment that I decided that I loved science.

Tachyon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There's a good animation and explanation of the tachyon effect. I tried to include an explanation in my post but I think it was too much text.




What made you decide on your course of study? Let's hear it.

 

[Goodbye Blue Monday]

In the case of musicology, then, maybe blogging or writing pieces for a magazine or local publication on the subject of music - upcoming albums, reviews of concerts, et cetera. Anything that presumes to use the same or similar skill set as your masters or doctorate focuses on will probably benefit you and certainly won't hurt. I'd imagine that reviewing albums, concerts, or operas would mesh nicely with this sort of study; maybe there are even internships, I don't know. Hands on work is often more valuable in terms of invested time than study. I am of course generalizing...
I'm curious - what is your career goal, post academia?

Well, the thing is, academia is my intended career goal. I want to be a professor.

But I do do a lot of writing outside of academic writing, about music and other topics. But that's more because I figure developing my writing career is good in case I don't get the academic career I want. Because this isn't the kind of economy where you can count on getting an academic position right out of getting your Ph.D.

Anyway, substituting my thesis with a portfolio wouldn't really work for what I'm doing, since writing scholarly papers is exactly what I plan to keep doing after I get my degree.

 

[industrial]

Well, good luck. Getting tenure is like winning the lottery.

It sounds like you should probably dive right into doctorate work then, as you're already doing. Sorry I had assumed you were aiming for a goal outside of the university setting. Continued publication is, of course, the only way to stay afloat in this case. Remember the mantra... publish or die.

It's good, though, that you're developing a writing career as well to fall back on. I hope you're successful.

 

[DerMißingno]

Was math discovered or invented?

 

[industrial]

Was math discovered or invented?

Really, that's a difficult question to answer. I don't think there's a right or wrong answer. I'm not much for philosophy - but I'd have to say that mathematics is an invention, one whose purpose is to hold a mirror up to reality. While truths and proofs discovered using math are predictive, correct, and exact - the math itself is simply a construct which touches on reality at both ends. Where the two meet would fall under the umbrella of discovery, while the methods and concepts are clearly invention. For example, the number pi: It is a constant, the ratio between circumference and diameter of a circle - clearly a discovery. The idea of a ratio, so much of this to so much of that, is clearly an invention (although it does have predictive value).

Consider irrational and imaginary numbers, infinite series, etc - they exist only as concepts and yet they can be used to predict and calculate outcomes with precision.

So, both? I don't know.

 

[Akromatic]

On the topic of philosophy?

Philosophy's just math sans rigor, sense, and practicality
and math's just physics unconstrained by precepts of reality.
A business major's just a thing you get so you can graduate
and chemistry's for stamp collectors high on methylacetate.
Why anyone who wants a job would study lit's a mystery
unless their only other choice were something like art history.
A ba in communications guarantees that you'll achieve
a little less than if you'd learned to underwater basket-weave
I'd rather eat a fowler's toad than major in biology, RIBBIT (a frog)
and social psych is worse than either psych or sociology.
The thought of picking any one of these is too unbearable.
Just put me down as "undecided" - Every Major's Terrible.
Now, if you can't prognosticate, that's ok in seismology,
but if your hindsight's weak as well, you'd best stick to theology.
CS will make each day a quest to find a missing close-paren.
Virology will guarantee you'll never get a hug again.
I.T. prepares you for a life of fighting with PCs nonstop.
As pratchett said, "Geography's just physics slowed with trees on top."
thought physics seems to promise you a Richard Feynman-like career,
the wiki page for "Physics Major" redirects to "Engineer."
They say to study history or find yourself repeating it,
but all that it prepares you for is forty years of teaching it.
I recognize my four-year plan's at this point not repairable,
but put me down as "undecided" - Every Major's Terrible.
Astronomers all cringe when they hear "Supermoon" or "Zodiac".
agronomy's a no-go; I'm a huge agorophobiac.
I'm too ophiophobic to consider herpetology,
and I can't stomach any part of gastroenterology.
While pre-med gives you twitchy-eyed obsession with your GPA,
a poetry degree bespeaks bewildering naivete.
TV's behind the rush into forensic criminology
(or so claims meta-academic epidemiology).
By dubbing ECON "Dismal science" adherents exaggerate;
the "Dismal"'s fine - it's "science" where they patently prevaricate.
In terms of choices, I'd say only sophie's was comparable.
Just put me down as "undecided" - Every Major's Terrible!

 

[industrial]

One of the better parodies of Modern Major General. Bravo