What are the benefits of pursuing a passion for science later in life?

[starfox]

Hey all,

New member to this forum, which I must say looks amazing. I am a literary academic who has put off studying Physics because I have an atrocious background in Mathematics. I finally have put my pride aside and am beginning to learn and fulfill a dream I have had since I was a kid. I am very much into science fiction and video games. As you can see by my name and avatar Star Fox was a game that deeply influenced me and my passion for science and Physics specifically. Hope to be able to learn and some day meaningfully contribute to the benefit of someone else who is in love with science!

-StarFox

 

[jedishrfu]

Welcome to PF!

What was your literary specialty?

 

[starfox]

Welcome to PF!

What was your literary specialty?

Thanks! I have a concentration on English linguistics and rhetoric in terms of my degree. My focus is on British and American literature.

 

[jedishrfu]

So you're studying recent authors like Kipling, Tolkien and Doyle or older ones.

 

[starfox]

For British literature a lot of Shakespeare and actually heavy work in feminist novels such as Burney, Lennox and Austen. As for American, Whitman all the way.

 

[jedishrfu]

Pretty good choices. I once had a professor who focused on Blake which I didn't appreciate until years later when I discovered how subtle and spiritual his writing actually was.

I was a big fan of sci-fi until I took a course on Sci-Fi as literature with a Physics Prof and an English Prof. The Physicist ripped the science and the English Prof ripped the character development so much so that It took me 10 years before I started reading Sci-Fi again for enjoyment. They did seem to like Larry Niven though ala Ring World...

 

[starfox]

LOL Yes having a professional or just intimate knowledge of a certain subject can unlock a world of wonder in something but at the same time make you unable to enjoy it independent of that connection or knowledge. That is probably one of the only saving graces about not having studied physics academically yet, I have been able to appreciate so many works of science fiction without an overwhelming amount of cynicism. Even just considering the possibilities of natural science has me like a kid in a candy store in my mid twenties. I am often depressed about not breaking into the field yet, especially when I tutor kids in writing and composition who are 15 or 16 and are taking university level mathematics and physics courses. At the same time however I find it intriguing at what my perspective can offer. That and from what I have read, people have started way later.