Yes, that was a great article. I would like to know what changed in the author's mind. Did he just get good at particular math problems through repeatedly doing them, or did he gain a general math aptitude? Given his performance later in life it seems like he gained the latter.
I became interested in math in a similar manner, and I think learning it this way gave me an edge over those who were just force fed it in school. There is nothing like understanding the practical significance of a subject to make it stick in my mind and give me intuitive links. This aspect of learning seems to be really lacking in public school, at least the ones I've attended.
I'm referring to the flight school aptitude test, his success in engineering school, and achieving a BA in physics. That's quite a jump for a guy who couldn't do high school algebra.
I became interested in math in a similar manner, and I think learning it this way gave me an edge over those who were just force fed it in school. There is nothing like understanding the practical significance of a subject to make it stick in my mind and give me intuitive links. This aspect of learning seems to be really lacking in public school, at least the ones I've attended.