my hottest STEM takes by Aiden H. '28

I famously have perfect taste, and with little to do over the summer, I’m left to just sit around and ponder endlessly, refining my taste and opinions indefinitely.

I offer you the following takes with limited to no explanation. Feel free to argue in the comments…I’m ready to defend.

1. Proofs are boring

Don’t you dare show me a mathematical proof. If I care that much, I’ll have the internet explain it to me like I’m five. 90% of things I’m learning very much can be explained in simple words or with common logic. Who is asking to read LaTeX and then going “let’s show this to other people–it makes a lot of sense”?

I’m not saying we shouldn’t have mathematical proofs, I’m just saying that these should not be the ways in which I’m learning something. It should be merely a formality on the way to making something common knowledge.

I choose not to concern myself with the “jth particle” or “nth term”.

I choose happiness.

2. Course 16⁠01 aero/astro engineering is just Course 2⁠02 mechanical engineering

This is mostly just out of ignorance, but isn’t 16 just specialized 2? You just do plane mechanics. Also what is mechanical engineering?

3. Organic Chemistry is a great class

Loved it.

4. Pie Charts are good

It is such a valid way to present information, especially demographics and any classification.

5. Φ is pronounced fi, not fee

Why when talking about greek life everyone agrees it’s fi, and then suddenly in physics y’all are switching sides and saying fee.

6. Always put spaces in code

Readability > typing “efficiency” in every case

On that note…

7. I’m not using recursion unless it’s by accident

If I just so happen to have my natural, logical instincts be recursive, then I will write the code that way. I will not sit there thinking about time complexity and memory storage yada yada and drawing a little recursive path on a piece of paper.

If it’s that serious then it either a) has to be done with recursion, so lectures/tutorials/the internet will tell me how or b) it will be edited by ChatGPT to be recursive.

Also I thought recursion was bad-ish.

8. Golgi is pronounced goal-g, not goal-guy

Do NOT disrespect the apparatus like that

9. Mendel’s Laws Are Awfully Named

“Segregation” is a type of “assortment” and it notably has an “independent” nature to it such that the alleles are “segregated” “independently”.

It should just be gametes vs daughter cells.

10. The number 7 should always have a dash when handwritten

11. Matrices are brackets not parentheses

cmon you know what’s right

12. Lim has a cursive l, ln has a print l

Last but not least (if not most important)…

13. Math is blue

science is green, english is yellow, and social studies is red fight me byeee