This post was catalyzed by this article: “101 Uses of a Quadratic Equation” by Chris Budd and Chris Sangwin https://plus.maths.org/content/101-uses-quadratic-equation

The article above has cool pix and info about Quadratic Equations and how they were used by the Babylonians, the Greeks, by Fibonacci describing Nature, and by modern scientists using Conic Sections to describe the Cosmos.

Turns out these conic sections are everywhere. Parabolas are pretty popular.

And apparently, so are Ellipses.

I would add this: If you believe what you’re studying has some profound importance and value, then you will 1) learn it better and 2) the learning will be more meaningful. Become extremely curious and extremely respectful of any subject that can be learned. It is an act of self-humbling that pays off.

Textbooks tend to emphasize the solving of quadratics… factoring, zero product property, completing the square, quadratic formula… all the procedures. But pause on the procedures and just think about the CONCEPT for a while. Objects in motion…describing gravity… always the same shape… parabolas! And bridges, and arches, and orbits of planets and moons! All quadratics! Every conic section is a quadratic function (I think, I can’t prove that).

Anyway, see the beauty all around is what I’m saying.