(April 6, 2024 at 7:00 pm)Fireball Wrote:

(April 6, 2024 at 5:16 pm)A. Secular Human Wrote: It's tough doing third-order integrals in the darkness of a closet...

Many decades ago, we had an electromagnetic noise issue (sparks from parts in space, which gain a charge from solar radiation). We had a consultant who did the math to describe the power levels and so forth. 11-page paper, which, come presentation time, he had to be elsewhere. I worked with him quite a bit, and had a physics degree so I "got" to present. It was a big deal- we had vice-presidents in the crowd. I threw the first slide onto the view-graph projector. In typical fashion, it was just like a college class. "First, we integrate over a spherical volume...". They all saw the triple integral sign and just busted up. Those who may have seen spherical integration saw it far enough in the past that they may as well have never seen it. I just grinned and soldiered on with the presentation. Mind you, that consultant was a PhD EE who worked in the field for decades, and taught at a local prestigious university. I would not have been able to derive this presentation material myself.

(April 7, 2024 at 7:16 pm)A. Secular Human Wrote:

(April 6, 2024 at 7:00 pm)Fireball Wrote: Many decades ago, we had an electromagnetic noise issue (sparks from parts in space, which gain a charge from solar radiation). We had a consultant who did the math to describe the power levels and so forth. 11-page paper, which, come presentation time, he had to be elsewhere. I worked with him quite a bit, and had a physics degree so I "got" to present. It was a big deal- we had vice-presidents in the crowd. I threw the first slide onto the view-graph projector. In typical fashion, it was just like a college class. "First, we integrate over a spherical volume...". They all saw the triple integral sign and just busted up. Those who may have seen spherical integration saw it far enough in the past that they may as well have never seen it. I just grinned and soldiered on with the presentation. Mind you, that consultant was a PhD EE who worked in the field for decades, and taught at a local prestigious university. I would not have been able to derive this presentation material myself.

EE here, but "only" the BS kind.  Did copious calculus, both theoretical and applied, for the degree, but never once used it professionally.  I did digital hardware and software design, when desktop computers were but a fever dream.  It was a total blast.  Some of the best times of my life.

(April 7, 2024 at 7:52 pm)Fireball Wrote:

(April 7, 2024 at 7:16 pm)A. Secular Human Wrote: EE here, but "only" the BS kind.  Did copious calculus, both theoretical and applied, for the degree, but never once used it professionally.  I did digital hardware and software design, when desktop computers were but a fever dream.  It was a total blast.  Some of the best times of my life.

Yeah, I only have a B Sc, as well. When I see on line where physics has gone in the 40 years since I got my degree, I am amazed.

(April 8, 2024 at 3:56 pm)A. Secular Human Wrote:

(April 7, 2024 at 7:52 pm)Fireball Wrote: Yeah, I only have a B Sc, as well. When I see on line where physics has gone in the 40 years since I got my degree, I am amazed.

I'm totally gobsmacked at how far desktops have come.  Gaming has gone from text-based simplicity like "Adventure" to first person photo realistic VR shooters.

(April 10, 2024 at 10:53 pm)Rev. Rye Wrote: This is apparently a thing that actually happened in Mexico a few days ago:

(April 6, 2024 at 7:54 am)arewethereyet Wrote: