Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Fraternal Physics

This is something new to me that I didn't know before. I also cannot vouch for the accuracy of it, so if someone else has a different version, I would like to hear it.

This article traces the origin of the Greek fraternity (and sorority) in US universities.

Contrary to popular belief, the first fraternities were formed as a way to assist those struggling in physics. It was discovered that at prestigious universities around the world, students were having difficulty not with the mathematics behind physics, but with the memorization of all the Greek letters. Students could not keep their omegas and thetas separate until one day, two identical twins known only as “the brothers” organized a house in which they could practice physics.


Could it be that not only can physicists take credit for the World Wide Web, but also all those fraternities and sororities across the US? Say it isn't so, Porky!

Zz.

1 comment:

Marcus Aurelius said...

I joined a Frat. One of our tests was to recite the Greek Alphabet 3x to a burning cardboard paper match.

However, on the whole joining the frat was detrimental to my physics study. When it came to study or keggers, keggers usually won. The only time excepted was when I was dating a woman who was aiming to be a microbiologist.

Still, our Physics Club adviser noted "symposium" in the ancient Greek meant gatherings to drink beer & I enjoyed the many symposiums we had as an SPS member.

I recall one particularly enjoyable symposium. Our adviser was also my E&M professor and I had just turned in some homework and we started to discuss the solution to one of the problems, he asked if I did it X manner, and to my delight, I hadn't but in Y manner, still I knew it to be a valid solution! That E&M class made it able for me to be a total screw-off in partial differential equations class!