Comments on: Intimidatingly awesome science fair projects http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 19 May 2013 14:38:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-461586 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-461586 We need more people like her in our world. What a smart girl!! We need more people like her in our world. What a smart girl!!

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-459544 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-459544 <i>Spoken like someone who hasn't actually tried to do anything with knots.</i> Spoken like someone who hasn't actually tried to anything with knot theory! Spoken like someone who hasn’t actually tried to do anything with knots.

Spoken like someone who hasn’t actually tried to anything with knot theory!

]]> By: cyberscythe http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-459596 cyberscythe Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-459596 I'm really impressed at how smoothly she presented knot theory and how she had the motivation to really go above and beyond high school maths to things that interested her. It sort of makes me sad that my greatest accomplishment at the time was getting the invincibility cheat in Goldeneye on the N64. I’m really impressed at how smoothly she presented knot theory and how she had the motivation to really go above and beyond high school maths to things that interested her.

It sort of makes me sad that my greatest accomplishment at the time was getting the invincibility cheat in Goldeneye on the N64.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-459137 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-459137 I get the idea of classifying the number of loops in DNA and I get the idea of wanting to classify proteins based on their structure, however neither of those two polymers ever ties itself into a knot. Though I'm sure knot theory is helpful for classifying loops and basically any structure it is a bit misguiding when knots never actually form in those systems (in knot theory, I think, all biological molecules form what would be called an unknot). Still, she's way smarter than me and I'm nearly done with a PhD in biophysics! I get the idea of classifying the number of loops in DNA and I get the idea of wanting to classify proteins based on their structure, however neither of those two polymers ever ties itself into a knot. Though I’m sure knot theory is helpful for classifying loops and basically any structure it is a bit misguiding when knots never actually form in those systems (in knot theory, I think, all biological molecules form what would be called an unknot).

Still, she’s way smarter than me and I’m nearly done with a PhD in biophysics!

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-458888 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-458888 "Basically, knot theory is about solving <b>simple problems</b> with advanced techniques. For those of us who don't like doing things the easy way... " Spoken like someone who hasn't actually tried to do anything with knots. “Basically, knot theory is about solving simple problems with advanced techniques. For those of us who don’t like doing things the easy way… ”

Spoken like someone who hasn’t actually tried to do anything with knots.

]]> By: PrometheusG http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-459153 PrometheusG Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-459153 Oh yeah? Well, I built a mouse maze and got three mice to learn it. Then I timed them three times each. Then I got one drunk, one buzzed, and left the third sober. Then I timed them again. The buzzed one was actually the fastest. The drunk one failed miserably of course. This was in eighth grade. A few years later I was caught drinking at a hotel the night before an academic science competition. I used my results to (not entirely successfully) argue my case to the vice-principal. Memories... Oh yeah? Well, I built a mouse maze and got three mice to learn it. Then I timed them three times each. Then I got one drunk, one buzzed, and left the third sober. Then I timed them again.

The buzzed one was actually the fastest. The drunk one failed miserably of course.

This was in eighth grade. A few years later I was caught drinking at a hotel the night before an academic science competition. I used my results to (not entirely successfully) argue my case to the vice-principal. Memories…

]]> By: PrometheusG http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-459155 PrometheusG Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-459155 Oh yeah? Well, I built a mouse maze and got three mice to learn it. Then I timed them three times each. Then I got one drunk, one buzzed, and left the third sober. Then I timed them again. The buzzed one was actually the fastest. The drunk one failed miserably of course. This was in eighth grade. A few years later I was caught drinking at a hotel the night before an academic science competition. I used my results to (not entirely successfully) argue my case to the vice-principal. Memories... Oh yeah? Well, I built a mouse maze and got three mice to learn it. Then I timed them three times each. Then I got one drunk, one buzzed, and left the third sober. Then I timed them again.

The buzzed one was actually the fastest. The drunk one failed miserably of course.

This was in eighth grade. A few years later I was caught drinking at a hotel the night before an academic science competition. I used my results to (not entirely successfully) argue my case to the vice-principal. Memories…

]]> By: PrometheusG http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-459156 PrometheusG Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-459156 Oh yeah? Well, I built a mouse maze and got three mice to learn it. Then I timed them three times each. Then I got one drunk, one buzzed, and left the third sober. Then I timed them again. The buzzed one was actually the fastest. The drunk one failed miserably of course. This was in eighth grade. A few years later I was caught drinking at a hotel the night before an academic science competition. I used my results to (not entirely successfully) argue my case to the vice-principal. Memories... Oh yeah? Well, I built a mouse maze and got three mice to learn it. Then I timed them three times each. Then I got one drunk, one buzzed, and left the third sober. Then I timed them again.

The buzzed one was actually the fastest. The drunk one failed miserably of course.

This was in eighth grade. A few years later I was caught drinking at a hotel the night before an academic science competition. I used my results to (not entirely successfully) argue my case to the vice-principal. Memories…

]]> By: LouisianaDan http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-458906 LouisianaDan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-458906 I made a volcano... I made a volcano…

]]> By: Boeotian http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-459168 Boeotian Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-459168 I couldn't understand a single word she said, cuz I suck at Maths big time, but one thing I could tell is that this certainly rocks. And that yes, I do feel incredibly dumb right now, but that's a feeling I'm quite familiar with. I couldn’t understand a single word she said, cuz I suck at Maths big time, but one thing I could tell is that this certainly rocks.

And that yes, I do feel incredibly dumb right now, but that’s a feeling I’m quite familiar with.

]]> By: Boeotian http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-459169 Boeotian Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-459169 I couldn't understand a single word she said, cuz I suck at Maths big time, but one thing I could tell is that this certainly rocks. And that yes, I do feel incredibly dumb right now, but that's a feeling I'm quite familiar with. I couldn’t understand a single word she said, cuz I suck at Maths big time, but one thing I could tell is that this certainly rocks.

And that yes, I do feel incredibly dumb right now, but that’s a feeling I’m quite familiar with.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-458918 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-458918 Wow. That gave me hope for our future. Wow. That gave me hope for our future.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-459175 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-459175 Forgive me, but I got to brag on my son a bit! He's 17, a junior, and going to ISEF (Intel International Science and Engineering Fair) in Reno, NV next month. He's got a program he created originally attempting to prove P=NP, which is one impossible math problem you can win a million dollars if you solve, (http://www.claymath.org/Popular_Lectures/Minesweeper/) that uses algorithms to play Minesweeper. He's already won awards from Intel, Army, Navy & Yale. I hope he wins a big scholarship at ISEF! Forgive me, but I got to brag on my son a bit! He’s 17, a junior, and going to ISEF (Intel International Science and Engineering Fair) in Reno, NV next month. He’s got a program he created originally attempting to prove P=NP, which is one impossible math problem you can win a million dollars if you solve, (http://www.claymath.org/Popular_Lectures/Minesweeper/) that uses algorithms to play Minesweeper. He’s already won awards from Intel, Army, Navy & Yale. I hope he wins a big scholarship at ISEF!

]]> By: Boeotian http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-459177 Boeotian Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-459177 I couldn't understand a single word she said, cuz I suck at Maths big time, but one thing I could tell is that this certainly rocks. And that yes, I do feel incredibly dumb right now, but that's a feeling I'm quite familiar with. I couldn’t understand a single word she said, cuz I suck at Maths big time, but one thing I could tell is that this certainly rocks.

And that yes, I do feel incredibly dumb right now, but that’s a feeling I’m quite familiar with.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-619462 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-619462 jajaja >:( jajaja >:(

]]> By: A New Challenger http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-458956 A New Challenger Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-458956 I barely touched upon topology in the four years it took me to get my BS in math. Not only is she rather gifted mathematically, that was a damn good two and a half minute presentation, and I could actually follow the big-picture thinking behind it even if details escaped my grasp. Now to move on from being distracted by embedded video and actually click on the link... I barely touched upon topology in the four years it took me to get my BS in math. Not only is she rather gifted mathematically, that was a damn good two and a half minute presentation, and I could actually follow the big-picture thinking behind it even if details escaped my grasp.

Now to move on from being distracted by embedded video and actually click on the link…

]]> By: Oskar http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-458977 Oskar Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-458977 Dear Math Girl: Please time travel into the past and go to my high school. You're ten times more awesome than anyone else I met there. Dear Math Girl:

Please time travel into the past and go to my high school. You’re ten times more awesome than anyone else I met there.

]]> By: Boeotian http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-459243 Boeotian Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-459243 I couldn't understand a single word she said, cuz I suck at Maths big time, but one thing I could tell is that this certainly rocks. And that yes, I do feel incredibly dumb right now, but that's a feeling I'm quite familiar with. I couldn’t understand a single word she said, cuz I suck at Maths big time, but one thing I could tell is that this certainly rocks.

And that yes, I do feel incredibly dumb right now, but that’s a feeling I’m quite familiar with.

]]> By: Boeotian http://boingboing.net/2009/04/07/intimidatingly-aweso.html#comment-459259 Boeotian Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-459259 I couldn't understand a single word she said, cuz I suck at Maths big time, but one thing I could tell is that this certainly rocks. And that yes, I do feel incredibly dumb right now, but that's a feeling I'm quite familiar with. I couldn’t understand a single word she said, cuz I suck at Maths big time, but one thing I could tell is that this certainly rocks.

And that yes, I do feel incredibly dumb right now, but that’s a feeling I’m quite familiar with.

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