I lost the post about seeing fractals and wave slit patterns, but I did think you'd enjoy this article, check it out. Thinking of all those whacks to the head I took as a youngster......... seriously. blblblblb

http://www.foxnews.com/science.....math-whiz/

It's all in the mind. I'm constantly telling kids "you have good sense" and it works every time.

There's an entire UCLA study done with rats around that subject.................. could be entitled "making genius rats".............. it had a lot of scary implications for eduction. Bonking on head wasn't needed.

If you're trying to tell me that calculus is outside the box, you're absolutely correct. That's why I couldn't do it, and still struggle. You have to see around corners.

We don't use the "left brain" thang anymore............ despite what Carl Sagan said in *Dragons of Eden*.......... much too easy and simple a solution. And besides, not all brains are wired alike, that's a fact. The more areas of the brain you can tap for any given problem-solution, the better. I use my spacial sense to solve some problems, especially if I'm tired.

Eggsactly. It's fun to play with that stuff, and indeed maybe it's a peep into an alternate universe. Someone has to do the wacky stuff. But for example, the square root of negative 1. (i) there it is. An inconvenient truth! We just convert it to a euphemistic variable and move on with the calculation, hopefully for some practical usage.

I actually got to teach math today (HUZZAH) and taught it within my comfort zone too!!! Solid geometry, basic volumes of cones and pyramids and all that. Youngsters were allegedly 10th grade and upward, all different levels of ability. Thankfully most were intrigued and stayed on task. (a couple were pills, but this school knows me pretty well, and they know I don't care if they sleep.... which a couple did... heck it's their grade not mine).

Anyway I always forget this until I pick up an advanced lesson plan. I am absolutely useless at reading "tech" writing, which explains this process. I look at the diagrams, I learn it intuitively, solve the problem. Visual, space and math are all super closely connected in my personal brain. I have no idea how others do it. That's how I taught it, I kept it simple, and handed them the written out notes.... in case they wanted to read their way through it.

Everyone seemed happy, except for the nice autistic dude in the back who was struggling a little. You could have taught the class easily, leslee. You just have to keep your sense of humor, and be gentle with them when they're confused. I never yell at students who get confused in math, it really traumatizes them. Easy does it.

So I'm pretty happy this evening........... how was YOUR day??? Anything cosmic happen? Off to listen to the interviews...

I did inherit some Cheerios today. Covered in chocolate. Long story. I'll keep my eye peeled for fruit loops.............. no thanks on Lucky Charms. The one time I tried them I almost gagged. They should be ashamed to market such bilge to small children. I assume this involves some time space continuum model, where the Cheerios become the galaxies or something? I'm always up for a fun model to use in class. My favorite is the story about Chandra and the Elephants, I have to tip my hat to Mike for that one........ I've used it several times in classes. It describes logarithms doesn't it?

WOW that was really pretty! I wondered why it sounded so much like LOTR and hehe it's soundtrack! I think Enya and her husband started that layering of voices, like 200 tracks for the richness and volume................ very nice.........

I'm a big fan of blended choirs........ a few months ago, I was subbing for music at one of our local high schools, and the choir director happened to come in at the end of the day... "I want to run through one of the songs." so I shut up and watched and listened. Mind you there were about 50 kids in this chamber choir... usually when you sub for those sorts of classes, you go in with earplugs 'cause choir is notorious for being loud and unruly.

Anyway he had these 40 girls and some odd gentlemen (always girl heavy in high school choir) doing fantastic vocal blendings.... very professional. I was gobsmacked and applauded when they finished!!! I wish so much I had time to get involved in a REAL choir somewhere. I've always enjoyed that sort of thing, but never seem to find the time.

Thanks for the turn on, I may have to look up more LOTR and Hobbit music... it seems there's a rich collection of it out on youtube. Yes... and remember the Elves can see by starlight, because many of them were around before the moon and sun were made.............

Agreed, the movie has to have that background music to carry a scene sometimes, set the mood. I'm always so amazed how some directors work it in......... true magic. That's a nice background indeed... I think the music for the Hobbit is an improvement over LOTR.

I was a little annoyed that they wrote in so much extra script... I guess they needed a romantic interest. Fili and Kili get bumped in the end, so this only can have one tragic outcome, alas. Taking bets on if T'auriel gets bumped too.

There were light elves and dark elves, no forest elves. Mostly the dark elves stayed in Middle Earth when the light elves went to Elvenhome. So the Dark Elves are the Forest Elves. Tolkien put very extensive notes on it in his writing... anyway no big deal. It made an excellent story, all around, and I might have to crack out the two episodes and watch them together, and pay more attention to the music this time.

I've seen some very good "home made" shows for free while teaching. Kids can be quite imaginative, and the teachers here are top notch IMHO. I've noticed that good music teachers seem to prefer rural schools... me too. I've done choir here and there over the years, always enjoyable. Like I say, if only if only.......... TIME

Oh well onward and upward........
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
music IS cosmic............. I was just writing an essay, "keeping the faith" is part of love, religion, music........... dreams............. it's all one thing I think.

OK back on topic.......... something for leslee. Maybe all the dreams and music are what dark matter is made up of.........

http://www.foxnews.com/science.....=obnetwork