this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2023
1077 points (98.0% liked)
Showerthoughts
29675 readers
1951 users here now
A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.
Rules
- All posts must be showerthoughts
- The entire showerthought must be in the title
- Avoid politics
- NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out
- Political posts often end up being circle jerks (not offering unique perspective) or enflaming (too much work for mods).
- Try c/politicaldiscussion, volunteer as a mod here, or start your own community.
- Posts must be original/unique
- Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct-----
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I think it is more than that, the shower is a proper refuge where external stimuli is severely limited. Sounds are limited by the running water, temperature is controlled by the water, visuals are limited, and no one is generally barging in.
When I was studying math at University I had a remarkable number of eureka moments in the shower where suddenly infinity made sense. Smart phones didn't really exist then but showers still held power as a great place to think
This dude literally understood infinity in the shower...
After finishing up calculus and differential equations taking real analysis was a trip! Basically opening up the box that is calculus and seeing why taking the derivative of a function means dropping the exponent and so much more. It frequently dealt with infinity and we went from writing long equations to solving word problems involving infinite doors. It was great
Limits are cool 😁 They open the door to all the 20th century maths and physics. I still don't understand how infinity is treated to get the result that the sum of all natural numbers is -1/12 though. That must use some different definitions, but I'm not sure what.