July 15, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR SUZANNE FRANKS IN KS
Hi Ayushi! This is a deceptively simple question; it's actually very
difficult to answer. But I will try. Math and science are both ways of trying to
understand and describe the world around us. Other ways of trying to understand and
describe the world include philosophy, history, literature, poetry, art,
anthropology, etc. etc. - really, any branch of knowledge or creativity you can name is
an attempt by humans to make sense out of the world and to re-make or adapt the world
to our needs and comfort. Math and science are particular ways of thinking about
the world that, in the case of science, generally involves collecting data and
interpreting it using some kind of theory. In the case of math, it is trying to describe
the world according to a set of rules. In the case of really pure theoretical math,
it can even be imagining new kinds of worlds where different kinds of math rules would
apply. (can you imagine what life would be like if we had only two dimensions
instead of three? or four instead of three? or 10? there are mathematicians who spend time
asking, and answering, questions like these.) Sometimes people say that
mathematics is the language of science...to some extent, this is true. Many things in
science are described in mathematical ways. However, there are just as many things
that can't really be reduced to a mathematical formalism. But math is handy
for describing a good bit of what goes on in science (most especially in physics, a good
bit in chemistry, less so in some of the biological sciences. Geography is a
science that has branches that are very mathematical and others that are not very
mathematical at all.) Mathematics really is like a language; as you learn
math, you are learning to translate human thoughts into mathematical symbols and
descriptions.
For example, I can say " one apple and another apple makes two apples
altogether."
Or, I can write: 1 apple + 1 apple = 2 apples. Or even more formally and
more abstract, x + x = 2x. Math makes it quicker and easier to write down and
work with certain kinds of ideas that humans have. Scientists use math for that
quickness and ease for some of the things they work with.
Why study science and math?
Why study history, or literature, or philosophy, or anything? First of
all, it is interesting to learn things in general, and it is fun to learn different ways of
looking at and understanding the world. Math and science were created by human beings, just as art, poetry, and history are created by human beings. It is part of our heritage and
part of what makes us human. If you study math and science, you will be better
equipped to understand the world around you, and better able to make sense out of
things like the latest news on medical research or whether or not a new dam on a
river is a good idea or an environmental tragedy in the making. You'll be a
better citizen. Lastly, you just might discover an area of math or science that
you'll want to make into your own career!
********************
A: FROM MENTOR DIANA DIONISIO IN CA
Physics uses calculus equations and concepts a lot. Biology and chemistry use math to derive equations to explains trends and things in the field and that's why math is a prerequisite to many science fields. Many people are intimidated by it just because it seems hard. It's not my favorite subject but it feels good when i get a concept and it's kinda cool (in a weird nerdy kinda way) to see how a math sine curve can function the actions of a wave in the ocean. Try not to let math scare you away from a science major if you like it.
********************
A: FROM MENTOR DENISE HARBERT IN IL
Basically, math is a foundation language and science uses the "math
language" to ask questions, solve problems, and communicate answers. Math
is like the English language and science is like the people who use English
to talk to each other. One general definition of science is the study of
how living things, natural forces, or microscopic molecules in the world
around us work. For example, science includes the study of animals,
plants, people, chemicals, forces like gravity and motion, molecules,
weather, planets, stars, etc. Math is a language that uses numbers and
symbols to explain how variables are related to each other.

Every science uses math in some form or another. Even the process of
photosynthesis can be described by a mathematical equation. (You may have
learned about photosynthesis in science class. It is the process that
converts the sun's energy into chemical energy that can be used by
biological systems. When I was in science classes, teachers usually talked
about photosynthesis in terms of plants converting the sun's energy so they
could use it to "eat", "drink", and "grow".)

The frustrating part about understanding the relationship between math and
science is that you need to be fairly advanced in both areas before it all
starts to make sense. Most people drop out of one subject or the other
before they get to the point where they can see how "cool" it is. I never
thought the two were related until I reached college level courses in both
subjects. I remember being suddenly mesmerized when I started seeing the
pieces of a giant puzzle fall into place. Before then, I didn't even
realize there was a puzzle! Everything on and around Earth is somehow
linked in the math/science relationship. It was incredibly exciting to
finally start seeing it all make sense. Unfortunately, the relationship
between math and science probably won't start becoming clear to you until
you pass the level of calculus in your math classes, which means the very
end of high school or at some point in college. Trust me though, it's
worth it to hang in there and see how it fits together!

Many "harder" sciences like physics and chemistry eventually require you to
know calculus because you can't solve the science problems without knowing
the math to do it. For "softer" sciences like biology and psychology,
knowing calculus may not be required but it is definitely useful. Math
formulas, statistical data analyses, and even abstract scientific ideas
make a lot more sense if you understand the logic and concepts that you
learn in calculus class. For example, a nurse I know was once telling me
about a class she had to take in college. Everyone in her nursing program
hated the class and no one seemed to understand it. When she described it
to me, I immediately thought of maximum/minimum problems in calculus, which
I thought were very easy. As it turned out, that nursing course originally
required calculus as a prerequisite. Calculus was later eliminated as a
requirement in the nursing program because it took up a lot of credit
hours, many nurses got bad grades in it, and it wasn't considered
"necessary" information for nurses to know. However, the nursing course
which was considered "necessary" that everyone hated and no one understood
would have been much easier for everyone if calculus had still been a
required course in nursing.

Science and math are important to study because they affect everything you
do. Knowing about math has indirect applications to science and direct
applications to your finances - e.g., comparing prices when shopping,
balancing checkbooks, managing bills, selecting insurance, buying a
car/home, planning for retirement, etc. The more math you know, the more
comfortable you will be in life because managing money has a lot to do with
discipline (which you'll definitely learn in math classes) as well as
understanding the math equations that drive interest charges and
credits. You could end up saving or wasting thousands or even millions of
dollars in your lifetime just by making different choices with
money. (Regardless of how much money you make! I know a rich garbage man
and a poor medical doctor!) Science is important because Earth is a very
delicate, interconnected ecosystem. If you know about science then you
know about the world around you. This can help you make better decisions
about which choices/behaviors are dangerous to you and the world around you
and which ones are safe. Knowing about science can help you be better at
everything from taking care of yourself and your family, to doing home
repairs, to voting for politicians, to selecting a car.

Keep studying math and science, even if you don't want to! I guarantee it
will help you in the long run, even if you don't yet understand how!