Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!tank!uwvax!uwslh!lishka
From: lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: 3-D perceptual abilities
Message-ID: <414@uwslh.UUCP>
Date: 29 Jan 89 17:53:43 GMT
References: <6382@thorin.cs.unc.edu> <cXsBOzy00XoZM0ml5i@andrew.cmu.edu>
Reply-To: lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts)
Organization: U of Wisconsin-Madison, State Hygiene Lab
Lines: 42

In article <cXsBOzy00XoZM0ml5i@andrew.cmu.edu> po0o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Paul Andrew Olbrich) writes:
>
>        I noticed that I seem to be somewhat better than average at
>understanding 3D relationships.  In a high school geometry class, for example, I
>remember being rather surprised when the teacher had a hard time drawing a cube
>on the blackboard as a 2D projection, (even without perpective) ... 

     I've noticed that different people can have wildly different
abilities to "view" and "understand" 3D relationships.  A (somewhat)
practical anecdote:

     Here at the U. of Wisconsin, there is a series of three courses
in calculus that most science students take.  The first course covers
integration/differentiation; the second starts with Taylor Series and
ends with 3D geometry; the third continues with 3D geometry and ends
with diff-EQ's.  I had a miserable time trying to understand the
"normal" calculus topics, but when it came to 3D geometry, I did
remarkably well (straight A's in the 3D geometry, C's or lower in the
other topics).  However, most people in the class seemed to do the
exact opposite: had an easy time with the calculus, but were
incredibly confused by the 3D geometry.  All of my friends (with the
exception of one who aced all the topics) fell into the latter
category.  In fact, 3 of my friends effectively *quit* taking calculus
because they had such a hard time with the 3D geometry at the end of
the 2nd course.  

This experience led me to believe that people's ability to "visualize"
or "understand" 3D topics (i.e. rotations, differentiating in
multi-dimensional spaces, visualizing 4D, etc.) varies quite a bit.  I
am not sure why, though.

     Any other thoughts/experiences in this area?

					.oO Chris Oo.
-- 
Christopher Lishka                 ...!{rutgers|ucbvax|...}!uwvax!uwslh!lishka
Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene                   lishka%uwslh.uucp@cs.wisc.edu
Immunology Section  (608)262-1617                            lishka@uwslh.uucp

		 "I'm not aware of too many things...
		  I know what I know if you know what I mean"
		    -- Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians