A study by the University of Chicago has shown that doing math can literally hurt your brain. Turns out that the preparation and anxiety preceding a math question can trigger certain regions of the brain, causing physical discomfort or pain. From Medical Xpress:
"For someone who has math anxiety, the anticipation of doing math prompts a similar brain reaction as when they experience pain—say, burning one's hand on a hot stove," said Sian Beilock, professor of psychology at the University of Chicago and a leading expert on math anxiety.
Oddly enough, I was just talking about math with a couple friends this past Saturday. (It was a wild party.) And what I basically said to them is, thank God I never wasted my time learning math. I was a straight-A student in high school, except I got C's in math. Why? Because math is horrible. It's boring, it's tedious and it doesn't relate to everyday life. I love English, history and science, but when it comes to math my brain completely zones out. It's not even a conscious decision; my brain realizes math is occurring and hits its screensaver button. It's not my thing, to say the least. Fortunately math is not necessary. Don't get me wrong, I realize the world needs math, but it can be left to other people. It's possible to live without math, and that's exactly what I've done for the past 10 years. I've crafted a life wherein I NEVER have to do math. And look at me now, a successful web producer for the country's 49th most popular newspaper. I guess that's my lesson to kids. Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. But those who fail to learn math, can work at a fun job.
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