Science Most challenging science?

[DanM]

Out of any type of science that you have studied, what is the most challenging to learn and understand?

In high school, I've formally studied biology and chemistry, and I have a pretty solid base in physics, partly from Orbiter and my dad, who has a degree in physics.

To me, chemistry is the hardest. It was easy for most of the year, but acids and bases were where it got really hard. Of course, that's better than my class (most of them didn't even know what stoichiometry is, even though they somehow got into an honors class).

Biology is probably the least challenging for me because it is just simple logic, except for organic chemistry, which is inherently complicated as carbon is tetravalent.

Though I have not studied physics formally, physicists have told me that most of it is just applied math, which I find to be very easy.

 

[fireballs619]

Biology is probably the least challenging for me because it is just simple logic, except for organic chemistry, which is inherently complicated as carbon is tetravalent.

What are you talking about?! That makes it easy :lol:!

I agree though that chemistry is the hardest of the sciences that I have thus far studied. Granted, physics can get pretty tricky, depending on what area you are focusing on. But seriously, the difference between a physicist and chemist is that the first studies one atom, while the second studies two :lol:

 

[HarvesteR]

Does it have to be a natural science?

Computer science can get really hard, especially when you go into simulation programming. You'll be looking at quite a lot of other fields of science while you're at it.

Granted, it's not as hard to learn the basics... Hmm
Cheers

 

[IgnoreThisBarrel]

I only just finished my sophomore year of high school (so I have a small list to choose from), and the bit of quantum mechanics I've looked into mostly makes sense (although I haven't looked into anything remotely difficult compared to what's being studied by physicists today), leaving this hardest science I've studied so far to chemistry.

 

[RichWall]

Geometry for me. But I would give this the highest degree of importance, since it sees reality from a totally different angle. :yes:

 

[Krikkit]

For me, who has a degree in physics, it was always Biology, which was my first major. Only because it involved a massive amount of reading and memorization, and I am very dyslexic. Physics on the other hand you can pretty much solve anything from first principals if you know how to solve them.

and the bit of quantum mechanics I've looked into mostly makes sense

Sure QM seems straight forward on wikipedia or some dumbed-down pop sci book. Wait until you have that test in front of you asking you to solve three dimensional Schrodinger equations just to find the probability distribution of a single hydrogen atom.

And thats just sophomore level modern physics. Graduate level QM is pretty much the hardest thing the human mind has ever tried to wrangle. But since QM is not all of Physics I stand by biology as being the hardest science for me.

 

[IgnoreThisBarrel]

For me, who has a degree in physics, it was always Biology, which was my first major. Only because it involved a massive amount of reading and memorization, and I am very dyslexic. Physics on the other hand you can pretty much solve anything from first principals if you know how to solve them.



Sure QM seems straight forward on wikipedia or some dumbed-down pop sci book. Wait until you have that test in front of you asking you to solve three dimensional Schrodinger equations just to find the probability distribution of a single hydrogen atom.

And thats just sophomore level modern physics. Graduate level QM is pretty much the hardest thing the human mind has ever tried to wrangle. But since QM is not all of Physics I stand by biology as being the hardest science for me.

I was only talking about the small stuff. Actual quantum mechanics is very far beyond me

 

[Spacethingy]

Geometry for me. But I would give this the highest degree of importance, since it sees reality from a totally different angle. :yes:

Aaaargh, only just got that.

This would agree perhaps?
http://xkcd.com/809/

 

[SiberianTiger]

Philosophy.

 

[Quintuss]

[...] that you have studied, what is the most challenging to learn and understand?

Women - after this many years logic behind them still eludes me. Is Feminology a science? :lol:

 

[PhantomCruiser]

19 years of marriage and I'm as clueless as to what goes on in my wife's mind as I was on day one.

 

[STS]

Aperture Science

 

[Jarvitä]

I'm currently studying physics in a master's degree-equivalent postgrad program. The hardest part is throwing away everything you want to believe about how the universe works and embracing relativity, mechanics, M-theory etc not as abstract equations, but as the fundamental nature of the cosmos. To people who can't do that, the entire course is a cult, because they're learning to repeat equations and formulae and believe to believe them. That kind of "understanding" is easy, but actually comprehending the origin and the implications of the laws you're studying is a far more intensive process.

 

[Moach]

quantum science and cosmology are so hard nobody has ever "aced it" :lol:


i find math very challenging... and i feel drawn to it more and more nowadays...

funny how interesting those things get what they're not being forced downthroatwards by some less-than-enlightened highschool teacher

 

[Ghostrider]

DIY brain surgery.

 

[RisingFury]

and the bit of quantum mechanics I've looked into mostly makes sense

What part did you look into? Because Quantum Mindfrak can get really nasty...


Anything that involves a lot of memorization is difficult for me. I can't stand reading for hours.

 

[Moach]

memorizing and learning are two very distinct affairs...

"educators" have much to learn in distinguishing the two....
it's actually surprising that in some rare cases, a childs natural curiosity manages to survive a formal education -- said Einstein (not in those words exactly)

 

[Jarvitä]

I agree with that. I can't help but notice how in high school, most of my classmates grew to downright hate mathematics and physics, due to incapable professors who were mostly teaching us to memorise the history of mathematics and physics. Mathematics was actually divided into two parts, one where we had to solve actual mathematical problems (which nobody bothered passing) and one where we had to write essays about dead mathematicians (which everyone copied from the one guy who bothered with it). The only reason my interest in science ever survived that slaughterhouse of reason were my my tutors, who not only helped me pass highschool mathematics and physics in the first place, but also inspired me to take an interest in science and eventually continue studying it.

So, when you're in high school, if you're ever in doubt or need help, hire a postgrad science student to tutor you! They're not that expensive, most of them know what they're talking about, most who don't know what they're talking about are capable of inspiring you to learn about what they're supposed to be talking about.

 

[Artlav]

Ufology.
Seriously, when i was in 11th grade the school invited a "ufology professor" to give us a couple of lectures.
Half the class listened to him with serious faces, despite lack of any continuous thread of reasoning in his ramblings.
Fortunately they kicked him out, otherwise there'd have been an impassible exam.

 

[Grover]

Physics may seem easy, but there is a catch:

doing A-Level physics, its not hard to miss the fact that we pretend to know alot about the "laws of physics", when we actually hardly know anything. what we consider to be an adamant theory can be blown out of the water at any moment, and as long as youer still A-Level or below, you arent learning Physics persé, but rather what your exam board THINKS is the way things work

for example, in my astrophysics, i am told that the definition of a Quasar is a "very distant object, with high luminosity and red-shift, likely an incredibly bright star on the far side of the universe"

but if you watched Stephen Hawking's documentary (im afraid i cant remember which one), HE believes that Quasars are strong radiation pulses emitted by Black holes to release energy gained from matter that falls into them.

i dont mean to argue with either of them, but how can they both be right? (or how can either be right is a better way to ask it )