High summer is here, and the climate is tropical. The urban rainforest is grey in the hot mist as colorful birds twitter. Distant thunder echoes off the fading concrete of the city. In the afternoon, a short, loud thunderstorm with deluging rains, and afterwards, the sun emerges on the drenched world to light up clouds of steam. More rain at night, the sound of falling water on leaves, and a few rumbles of thunder. Bugs get in through the space between the screen and the sliding door, flying around my art light, landing on my painting, crawling across my physics book. I stick to everything. I stick to my physics and mathematics. I love it, love summer, it is the only season I really enjoy. I wish the rainforest world lasted almost all year, rather than two precious months. But can you do math and physics in the tropics?

I am working with Schaum's now. This book has a more complex introduction to the basic mechanics with which I have been working. Currently it is showing me calculus-related material about the slope of a curved line and how to find average and instantaneous velocity through graphs and slopes. This is all new to me and I'm glad I found it, as I will be continuing calculus as I progress in classical mechanics. Next will be instantaneous, average, and constant acceleration. I must pay close attention because there is a lot of mathematical notation and equations. I work them out along with the book's text, on my notepaper next to the book. It is not exciting, but that's what I signed on for back in 2000 when I made my resolution to study math and physics.

Acrylic doesn't dry quickly in the humid atmosphere. So I must wait a long time for the paint to dry. My art work used to be as dull as watching paint dry. Now, as soon as the layer is on, I turn to the physics text on the art table next to me, and do another page. I pay attention, until I see heat lightning flicker off to the west, and know that another storm is on its way.

Posted at 3:29 am | link