Math phobic? You're in good company

Say ahhh...      (Photo by RaveDave)

If you tend to cringe at the sight of equations, you’re in good company.  Science Daily reports that physicists also seem fearful of mathematics.

In researching citations from “2,000 articles   in a leading physics journal,” scientists from the University of Exeter found that documents with many mathematical equations are “less likely to be referenced by other physicists.”

Why is this so?  Mathematics is part and  parcel of physics training.  You would therefore think that physicists would gravitate toward equation-laden articles.  But physicists know how time consuming such equations can be.  They would rather zip through a synopsis of main points than wade through nitty-gritty details. 

Ideally, "presentational style" should not make or break an article’s popularity.  However, humans do like to be spoon-fed, whether with blended kale or with technical information.

Resources

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161111132118.htm

Copyright November 13, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved