Mastering the 3D Aspect of Math & Physics

  • Context: Undergrad 
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    3d Physics
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around improving the ability to visualize three-dimensional (3D) concepts in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Participants explore various methods and exercises to enhance 3D visualization skills, acknowledging its importance in understanding complex topics such as calculus and molecular structures.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to master 3D visualization to improve their understanding of physics, math, and chemistry, seeking concrete exercises to achieve this.
  • Another suggests studying one's surroundings and paying attention to spatial relationships as a way to enhance 3D visualization skills.
  • A participant mentions the importance of using parallax when visualizing objects, noting that this may come naturally to some but not to others.
  • Some participants propose that drawing techniques, such as perspective drawing and graphing 3D situations, could aid in understanding 3D concepts.
  • Online resources and adjustable 3D visualizers are shared as potential tools for practice, though their effectiveness is questioned by some.
  • There is a discussion about the difficulty some individuals have in visualizing 3D structures from 2D representations, with references to challenges in understanding higher dimensions like 4D.
  • Sketching and still life drawing are suggested as practical exercises to improve 3D visualization skills.
  • Some participants reflect on the impact of prior avoidance of 3D thinking on current abilities, suggesting that natural talent and practice may influence learning outcomes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of 3D visualization in STEM fields, but there are multiple competing views on the best methods to improve this skill. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the effectiveness of various approaches and the inherent challenges faced by individuals.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the effectiveness of certain visualization techniques and acknowledge that individual differences in learning and natural ability may affect outcomes.

  • #31
klimatos said:
Yoooosam, do you have 3D vision?

I was born without the ability to see in three dimensions.
Thank you for bringing that up. I was just about to mention that the only circumstance that I could think of wherein one couldn't envision 3D in his mind is if he also couldn't in real life. (That is also to what I attributed my inability to envision 4D.) I have experienced it a few times, temporarily, due to iritis from infections and a couple of flash-blindness incidents due to welding and playing with magnesium. A large percentage of my nieces/nephews-in-law (well, technically my ex-live-in-girlfriend's kin, but still my family even though she no longer is—relationships are complex in Cree culture) have gradually gone totally blind at various rates due to hereditary retinitis pigmentosa. They all still perceive their environments in 3 dimensions, but with that mapping done by other than the visual cortex. (I know that I'm convoluting tenses and singular/plural terms, and I apologize for that, but I'm just not energetic enough right now to do things properly.) Anyhow, they know what it was like to see things that way, even though they no longer can.

(I learned to judge automotive distances by relative size.)
It must drive you batshit crazy when you have a bunch of Fleetwoods and Mini Coopers and Continentals and SMART cars all in the same traffic flow. :D It'd be like having walruses and field mice attacking at the same time.
Klimatos, I would like to converse a wee bit more about shooting both pool and guns, but that would derail the thread. I'll contact you later.
 

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