the pons asi[movi]norum of calculus

From: Damien Broderick (d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Thu Jul 06 2000 - 23:31:00 MDT


At 07:28 PM 6/07/00 -0400, Harvey Newstrom wrote:

>Interesting. I also had to take calculus more than once! I was good
>at geometry and algebra, but calculus just didn't sink in. I
>suddenly had to study and memorize it before I got it.

I was relieved and amazed once to read in one of his essays that Isaac
Asimov--who'd naturally floated like a butterfly through high
school--suddenly ground to a halt when faced with calculus. His superb mind
just didn't *do it*. Even so, many of us might be happy to switch minds
with him (well, except that his mind has been switched off, worse luck).

Damien Broderick



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