I think this is fascinating-math and our brain - Page 5

Harpa · ‎03-10-2010

We must all have some capacity for math. Everything is just patterns, though, right? So, it's how quickly we can "see" the patterns.

As much as I loved playing with those little pink numbers when I was in 1st grade, it seems it takes me extra time to calculate with numbers. I think I was having fun with the manipulation of those numbers. (We had green letters, too, and wow! that was even better!!)

What boggles me is that I sometimes lose my way in large buildings, but I have great instinct on roads & direction.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

@Harpa wrote:
We must all have some capacity for math. Everything is just patterns, though, right? So, it's how quickly we can "see" the patterns.

As much as I loved playing with those little pink numbers when I was in 1st grade, it seems it takes me extra time to calculate with numbers. I think I was having fun with the manipulation of those numbers. (We had green letters, too, and wow! that was even better!!)

What boggles me is that I sometimes lose my way in large buildings, but I have great instinct on roads & direction.

I don't think some people see the patterns in math - they never get the relationships between numbers, and that is why math is difficult for them.

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

Hi @151949-

Its not that map reading is necessarily a type of math but I read somewhere that the same part of the brain that is used in reading maps is the same part that excells at certain types of math.

And from reading all these interesting replies,

we can see that it is true that we can be really good at some types of math and skills but not good at all in other types. There are different parts of the brain that are used in each of these.

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

Now I'm wondering, (to throw another dimension into this), who here is left or right handed and how much does that affect what we have said in terms of what we are good at?

And I bet there are lots of greys in there too, its not all oh someone is left handed and that means they ... if you know what I mean.. or not!🙃

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

Harpa · ‎03-10-2010

Some of this has to do with how those [math] skills are developed, or if they lie sort of dormant.

Then some of that has to do with individual interest. Some are just geared & steered into certain directions.

And then the external influences...perhaps you've had a great teacher who knew how to hit the right buttons so that you did take an interest.

If I had had a really good math teacher to point out those number relationships...rather than just doing nebulous problems on the board....

novamc1 · ‎07-02-2015

@on the bay

Good for you to bring up "another dimension" to the topic. There are two sides to the human brain, and we don't always choose which one is dominant in ourselves.

I'm ambidexterous........use right hand always for some things, left hand for others, and the two don't easily interchange.

I'm good at language and reading and writing and got paid to use that side of my brain for many years........didn't develop an understanding of the "other-brained side" including math or algebra until I left the professional writing and journalism world and went into the business world.

Money.... how it was earned and arrived at for myself and my clients, caused sudden interest and a new understanding of the value of arithmetic, mathematics, algebra and many other things that matter in business.

I guess you can say that "money" is a good educator, better than any teacher I'd ever had in math class before. LOL!

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

@novamc1-

Your post made me think that I bet there are many things we don't even know we are good at until faced with necessity or some kind of advantage or reward for ourselves like money or even knowledge.

I would never call my self good at technology or computers or the latest phone etc but I've learned where there is a will, there is most of the time a way!

With computers, I will make it do what I want if I have to take a hammer to it! But really, I've learned a lot how to work things just because I get desperate to know how to make it work, because I really need it too. I never would have believed I could understand some of the computer things I do, and its all like that part of my brain lay dormant until it had to be used.

I might do a lot of crying along the way of learning out of frustration, but eventually have lots of victories over these techie evil things lol!

Thanks brain!

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

@on the bay wrote:
Now I'm wondering, (to throw another dimension into this), who here is left or right handed and how much does that affect what we have said in terms of what we are good at?
And I bet there are lots of greys in there too, its not all oh someone is left handed and that means they ... if you know what I mean.. or not!🙃

@on the bay You made me think of another thing that happens to me... besides having bad sense of direction,( I never drive to a new place EVER.) Only go the same way there and back.. what I know...)

I confuse my lefts and my rights.. and in fact have to tell my self sometimes " this is my left.. and this is my right... does anyone else have that issue?? Honestly, I am a very capable and (I think) inteligent person.. I just have these little quirks in my makeup!

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

@SeaMaiden-

No, I can't say that I get my left and my right ever mixed up

but I know of people who do.

I do have a bad sense of direction though.

Now I want to ask, are you right handed or left handed? I wonder if that has something to do with it.

I'm left handed and as we ALL know, left-handed people are always right lol!🤣

But I guess thats a horse of a different color altogether!

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

novamc1 · ‎07-02-2015

@on the bay

Your computer escapades exactly mirror mine..........I'm not the best PC user in the world, even though I was introduced to them early by my writing job, my real estate career, and my DH (a math/statistics guru who has made a career out of software and computer programming).

Yet, when my computer throws me a curve or acts up, I somehow muddle through by trial and error. I will never have a clean, organized hard drive on a computer, because I'm undoubtedly creating lots of junk files on the way to finding my way out of the muddle!

I do manage to reach the finish line..........eventually! LOL!