As an undergrad, I did my time. I took my gen-eds, my westerns and non-western cultural classes. I took my physics classes, although at the time I compared computer science more with expressive art than physical sciences. (To some extent, I still do.) I had the choice of taking thermodynamic physics or quantum/light/nuclear physics (in the 1xx classes,) and because of my distrust of all things quanta, I went with thermo.

My view on education has changed in ten years, and I know I’m a better learner now — but at the time, I *struggled* in thermo. I understood the abstract, hand-waving, “consider this” elements, but when it came to digging down and understanding the science of thermodynamics (the math, the work, the thought,) I folded. I could have forced myself to learn it, but I didn’t really care — I was already so distracted with other classes (ones in my discipline, ones that had future higher level courses that depended on their prerequisite knowledge, ones that were more fun.) I distinctly remember my thermo lab TA “pleading” with us (”You’re here, you might as well try to learn it.”) I’m not proud of that position, but at the time, it was a survival decision. And hey, I survived.

Today, things go full cycle as MSI puts a Stirling engine on a CPU as a heatsink fan. (Get it, full cycle…. Physics humor. I crack myself up.) Damn you physics… following me everywhere I go.

Mobo maker builds ‘powerless’ processor cooling fan