What are you learning?

[Surgo]

When I was reading the books thread, I noticed that everything listed was fiction -- to the point that it seemed just wrong to talk about non-fiction in there. For some of us, though, it's more than just reading non-fiction.

A long time ago, I decided that I want to have deep knowledge of all the sciences. For that reason I took (I was in college at the time) as many hard science classes from as varied disciplines as I could. I thought I did a pretty good job at learning a broad base; then I went to an engineering school for graduate school and discovered I had so, so much more to learn. But in a PhD program, they don't really give you any leeway to do that -- you have some "breadth" requirement (at least here), but by and large they expect you to be focused on your thesis subject and not much else.

Thus, if you want to learn like I do, often times you're going to have to do it on your own. So, I'm interested to know what everyone else with such an interest is learning on their own, not in school or classes.

For me, I recently saw a fascinating lecture on optics and microfluidics, two subjects that I know absolutely nothing about except for general physics knowledge. So I'm taking up trying to learn optics on my own -- I found this very helpful website of course videos and course materials; I still have to find a copy of the textbook, though. I really want to thank MIT for pioneering this "put your course videos and materials" on the internet thing even before Youtube even existed -- nowadays other top-notch universities have followed suit, and the introduction of things like Youtube have really made it a lot easier to do that. The result is an incredible wealth of material for people who want to learn.

 

[Lelouch]

I tend to pick up new interests and forget old ones on a near-daily basis. Like you, I constantly want to learn, but unlike you I don't have the patience or willpower to stick with college for years at a time, and certainly not to bother with trivialities like essays to show what I know - I know when I'm familiar with a topic and don't feel the need to prove anything; certainly not with a silly diploma.

My most common interests are philosophy (of all kinds, from philosophy of law to metaphysical concepts), theoretical physics (concepts, not formula), psychology (by and large I consider it pseudoscientific nonsense, but one need not respect or believe in something to study it) and game theory, but the thought of wrestling with the insomnia to be both awake and lucid at whatever time class is puts me off even trying to stick with them. So, I "teach" myself, but have no real curriculum and therefore huge gaps in my knowledge.

I tend to do most of my research online, as I don't enjoy libraries (I WILL lose at least one book if I borrow any) and don't like to pay for a book to indulge an interest that might not last the week.

Recently I've been reading a lot about English and American legal procedures - all but useless to me, as I live in Scotland, but interesting, especially when comparing the two systems and seeing how similar cases can have totally different outcomes based on the differences in culture and tradition.

 

[Diana]

Lately I've been on a kick of learning random geography, US or worldwide doesn't really matter. Finding this quiz site that has all kinds of things really has helped: Anything that gets you trying to figure out what the biggest world cities that begin with the letter 'A' is pretty fun to me.

Every once in a while I get onto something else but usually I abandon that soon after.

 

[icepick]

I'm reading a book called Mathematics and the Imagination at the moment, which I've found really though provoking and as well as providing a history lesson. Over the summer I plan to study philosophy and logic, probably by picking up a textbook, since I want a good grasp on the fundamentals.

 

[cantab]

The last non-fiction book I read was "Fly By Wire", about the plane that landed on the Hudson, but it goes into many aspects of aircraft.

I also spend a fair amount of time reading Wikipedia articles. Mostly random, but there seems to be a bias towards technology and military hardware, and air crashes.

I regularly buy New Scientist, and thus keep reasonably current with science and technology innovations. I also keep track of what's happening in the GNU, Linux, and Free Software fields via Linux Format. I'm not subscribed to New Scientist but have been buying it on and off for probably close to a decade, while Linux Format I subscribed to a few years ago, paying for 3 years subscription in one go.

In my work, I've been having to learn a lot about methods of deploying Windows. Often the hard way, when what I try doesn't work :-(.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Sorry if you intended this to be things learned solely from books, but I've recently picked up an interest in lockpicking. I've watched a lot of videos, found some step-by-step instructions to making lockpicks, and I've practiced on my door at school. I'm not sure at all how close I am, though; I need a practice lock but I'm loath to buy anything.

 

[Orwell]

Own my own, I've done quite a bit of reading about sociology, politics, history, and economics. I find the impact on macroeconomics on public policy to be very interesting. I read Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation in high school, and I've been primarily hooked on non-fiction concerning public policy ever since. Checking liberal and conservative ideology against the actual results of policy initiatives gives me an immense amount of satisfaction.

I'm currently waist-deep in the Biochemistry major (partially inspired by a pre-health focus) that I tried to supplement by reading peer-reviewed research, mostly concerning pharmacology, on my own. With that said, I'm not doing well despite having put my all into it.

I'm currently deciding whether to revamp my study skills and give Biochem another go or do a major in one of the social sciences, despite much anxiety over job placement issues.

 

[PikaPete]

I've been learning Korean on and off for about a year now (seeing as I live in Korea, it seems like a good idea...)

I can do basic conversational stuff (especially while drunk, apparently), but I don't have a regular teacher, and my self-motivational skills are close to zero, so I am learning most of my new stuff from listening to K-pop (I can say stuff like "I want to dream with you forever", but not "where is the post office")

 

[Electrode]

I go from reading stuff like crazy to not looking into much at all.

Also, the subject matter jumps around quite a bit. Two years ago I was obsessed with statstics, whether it be psychology or marketing or whatever, a year ago it was different types of bugs, and just recently I've been reading more philosophical papers and political stuff.

I read from Wikipedia pages, websites in general, and books.

 

[The 1 and Only Lady Gaga]

I, Julia and my twin sister Maria (Yeah we share this account) take up Pure Physics, Pure Chemistry and Pure Biology. So far coping well, getting straight Bs and occasional As, although I did screw up at Chemistry in one point of my life. We also take up Higher Mathematics at school, learning stuff like Logarithms, Indices, Modulus etc. Not exactly excelling at Higher Math, Modulus requires us to flip graphs and whatnot and finding the vertex etc, Maria passed her Higher Math by the skin of her teeth, and I failed it... marginally. 48%. I went nuts.

 

[bugcatcherjasonn]

what exactly do you mean by "went nuts?"

 

[SOMALIA]

I'm just trying to learn more regarding mechanics and engineering science since I have a hardtime with them in my engineering degree. Found several books, just hope they help since mechanical engineering isn't exactly very theoretical

 

[The 1 and Only Lady Gaga]

what exactly do you mean by "went nuts?"

Go crazy. Just like 2% to pass. Extremely annoying.

 

[Altmer]

I read some philosophy and mythology on my own, and I own some of Dawkins' work.

 

[Alan]

I purchased Rosetta Stone German recently so I can learn it. It seemed like a cool language to learn and I already know a good amount of Spanish so I assume that a second language would be cool to know. I also plan on going to Europe and spending some time in Germany so it would be a wise choice.

(For those of you who don't know what Rosetta Stone is, here is the website: http://www.rosettastone.com/ )

 

[cantab]

Go crazy. Just like 2% to pass. Extremely annoying.

In my first year at University I was one mark, out of 375, off a First :-@

 

[Bad Ass]

yea we have a ton of koreans here who moved from korea to work at the newly made kia plant, so i'm learning korean too. i have their alphabet pretty down, but at the moment i'm pretty stuck on the irregularities. the irregularities aren't hard to learn at all, i've just been putting it off.

 

[Vratix]

I was always really interested in Architecture just because it incorporated so many things from math and art. I almost have my degree in Civil Engineering which I had originally hoped would incorporate many of the same things. It does not, not nearly what I hoped anyway. So, on the rare occasions I'm not busy I like to go to the library and look through the literature on Architecture.

 

[scampy]

I can never really settle on a particular interest because there are so many things I want to learn about, and so my knowledge of academic fields outside of astronomy/physics (which are my "proper" subjects) is very scattered and sporadic, due to me constantly picking up new subjects and dropping old ones.

Currently though I'm into psychology, philosophy and human biology. Next stop is probably English history and politics, because I often find myself in conversations on those subjects and can never really participate due to my abysmal knowledge of them.

In my first year at University I was one mark, out of 375, off a First :-@

Ooooof. :(

 

[Adm. Empoleon]

I'm trying to learn Advanced Chemistry, I like working with chemicals and what not.
Physics is also something that I like. Biology is great.

 

[hydrolphin]

Currently I am reading a book on Statistical errors, and how to avoid them. I find it facsinating. It explains where certain numbers come from and how the so called "studies" are actually done. I'm almost done, so I'll be looking for something new (Or I can just go back to the old CIA Factbook) In general, I enjoy reading Statistics, Geography and History. I think I own every CIA World Factbook since I was in the 5th grade.

 

[ginganinja]

well I read History and Classical Studies, little bit of philosophy. i love Alexander the great!

 

[SynysterCola]

I always browse Wikipedia, reading articles that I find interesting.

When I was younger, my school did not have astronomy classes, so I self-taught myself a lot of things.

RIGHT NOW though, I am taking some time to teach myself game development. Starting from simple 2-D stuff and moving on.

 

[Scimjara]

Just been reading few MMA books and at school there's only week and a half left not really much to learn.