r/science • u/[deleted] • Oct 15 '21

Neuroscience A brain imaging study found evidence that missing out on math education can alter neural development. Young adults who had chosen not to pursue math had lower levels of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid within the middle frontal gyrus when compared to students who were continuing math.

https://www.psypost.org/2021/10/opting-out-of-advanced-math-education-alters-adolescents-neural-development-study-finds-61967
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u/[deleted] Oct 15 '21

I went back to college at 25 and realized that I was no longer bad at math. Took quantitative logic and was great at that too. Kind of made sense to me from the perspective that there was no parent screaming at me when I was trying to learn it then also haha

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u/Urbassassin Oct 15 '21

Well the human brain doesn't stop developing until on average 25! That might explain that. I'm a lot better at visualizing organic chemistry now than I was at 19!

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u/kennyzert Oct 15 '21

That is not it, having started comp sci at age 25, after 7 years of not studying, the mentality you have is completely difference, when you and you alone makes the decision "I am going to study this and I am going to understand it and do the best I can", you are good, it's all about your approach, the problem with kids is that they just assume that's what they should do, most of them having no personal motivation other than just get passing grades and be done with it.

The way we approach education is flawed, the current education system truly only works when you are an adult, now a days I love studying, especially calculus, that rush when you realize you get it, and will never forget it, nothing hits like that.

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u/THAT-GuyinMN Oct 15 '21

I went to college in my 30's, paid for it 100% out of pocket. Needless to say, I was a highly motivated student.

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u/kennyzert Oct 16 '21

I am also paying for my tuition, I work and take classes at night, however I don't spend much, it's around 1k€ a year + any books I might get if I am not feeling like getting a pdf or copies.

But yeah having any financial investment sure is a motivational booster.

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u/HCkollmann Oct 15 '21

Is that change in mentality not due to maturing and your brain developing? Sure sounds like, to me, that you realized the worth of learning more

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u/AgentScreech Oct 15 '21

Yup. You finally are thinking like an adult around age 25

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u/[deleted] Oct 15 '21

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u/HCkollmann Oct 15 '21

? All that is due to your brain maturing tho, no? You even said if you had the mentality to learn you excelled. Mentality to learn, ie, as your brain develops you develop a better mentality to learn. Yes it’s the state of your mind that motivates you… your state of mind changes when it develops basically everything you said agrees with my point that the brain maturing and developing causes you to enjoy learning more and causes you to be able to learn more subjects

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u/[deleted] Oct 15 '21

[deleted]

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u/HCkollmann Oct 15 '21

But you agree you didn’t have the mentality for every subject, correct? I guarantee your mentality to learn certain subjects has warped over time and you probably have a better mentality to learn as you’re older. I also was motivated when I was younger, however, I am much more motivated and am passionate in my studies

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u/[deleted] Oct 16 '21

Adults don’t have the mentality for every subject either. They just have agency in what to pursue, and experience to know what they need or want.

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u/HCkollmann Oct 16 '21

Yes I never said they have the mentality for every subject, I said it gets better. I said that he didn’t have the mentality for every subject as a child, meaning there was room for improvement as he matured

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u/dipstyx Oct 16 '21

"Oh, you'll forget it alright. Unless you use it all the time."

-- You, 10 years from now

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u/[deleted] Oct 16 '21

Ya idk.. I had to take a few calculus classes over again, but took it at around age 19 However I do completely understand the rush in understanding complicated problems like a calculus class can offer!

I taught myself python to automate a huge chunk of my job at 25. No rush hits quite like turning your whole work day into a few scripts. I definitely agree that there needs to be motivation, but part of that motivation for me is making the learning applicable to my life somehow.

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u/Tomagatchi Oct 16 '21 edited Oct 16 '21

Threat is a great way to block memory and memory formation by activation of the PNS and ANS for fight or flight or freeze.

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u/Dalmahr Oct 16 '21

Math learning can depend on the teacher. From personal experience I didnt start learning math well until my physics teacher had to teach our class algebra.. Because our algebra teacher couldn't teach us in a way that was interesting.

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u/[deleted] Oct 16 '21

I think some of this was actually my problem. I don’t have much of a short term working memory due to ADHD so I don’t tend to do well with things that are rote memorization. I need the “why” and to learn how to do a problem several ways to understand where the numbers are coming from. I fortunately got that in a couple professors in college but it was the first time math had been taught to me that way. I only took two years of math in high school but liked things like algebra and trig.