I’m taking something called Evolutionary Dynamics from a guy who really knows it. He’s super nice but not taking it particularly easy on us, and probably wouldn’t appreciate any implication that he should. I’ve picked up rumours and hints of the mysterious aesthetic crunch of real math from all kinds of sources for a long time, actually engaging in it elbow-deep is hell of an experience. But I don’t have the background to follow along except painfully. This Onion article, Scientists Ask Congress To Fund $50 Billion Science Thing, rings true to my experience so far.

Another diagram presented to lawmakers contained several important squiggly lines, numbers, and letters. Despite not being numbers, the letters were reportedly meant to represent mathematics too. The scientists seemed to believe that correct math was what would help make the science thing go.

I’m getting better.