What I remember from Thermodynamics: entropy increases (arrow of time).
And also that my feet in winter violate the laws of thermodynamics by being colder than absolute zero.
@filkerdave Ha, yes, my calc too. I guess it just needs batteries, but I don't *do* that stuff now. I'm not in danger of solving any textbook problems either. Maybe some hand waving, I mean heuristic discussion, but that's it. Flavor.
I spent five years in college on physics, and now I call that "flavor"? Oooof!
@nethope Hah, speaking of, have you seen today's XKCD?
@filkerdave /me staggers ... of _course_ there's an XKCD about that!
My physics favorites have always been (in order) quantum mechanics, basic physics, and relativity. The underlying premise about math is spot on: I love math. I'm used to side-eye when I say that, but it's completely true!
I love math, and I'm good at it. Also, I love to read, I'll even read textbooks (like Sakurai on QM), and I even enjoy writing. In addition, I find many topics fascinating.
And that pretty much explains me.
@nethope Which is a good thing. I should really relearn more of my math, but then I'm afraid they'll make me do option valuation at work!
@filkerdave Math is easier with a goal (a reason to use it), which is what I loved about physics (before switching to engineering then ending up in network management).
I used to dream about teaching "obscure maths": variational calculus (needed to understand Maxwell's equations properly!), how to use a slide rule, and calculating a square root.
My mother's father was, among other things, a high school math teacher. He taught me algebra at age 5, while my grandmother taught me geometry.
@filkerdave I learned variational calculus from The Variational Principles of Mechanics by Cornelius Lanczos http://store.doverpublications.com/0486650677.html and I was lucky enough to attend the Lanczos centenary lecture in 1994 ... fun math times!
@nethope Yeah, I haven't had much of a reason to use it for many years. Basic stuff, yeah -- making change, what I needed for my ham radio license, some thought experiments. But mostly it's not something I need to use every day.
@filkerdave I managed to forget to bring a calculator for both my Tech and General exams, so I'm glad I can calculate on paper (and remember equations)! That's a reflection on how often I use calculators nowadays. I usually have 'bc' and 'units' at hand.
@nethope Yeah, I can calculate by hand by I make more careless mistakes that way. (Caveat; I'm not sure I could really solve square roots by hand anymore).
On the bright side, I have an awesome sparkly calculator on my desk at work that I inherited from a former colleague.
It handles most of what I need to do day-to-day. https://octodon.social/media/7mUZsD6Ad9a3Fgo4PBA
@filkerdave Oooooh, sparkles! That is definitely a *bright* side! Much snazzier than my bc command line.
I'm sorry you can't hear it, but my friend Cheryl and I made our "oooooooooooo sparkly" sounds for you!
@nethope I remember the basics of...err...heat of fusion, but I'm not sure I could solve a problem if you put it in front of me.
My calc has long since rotted away as well.