Beyond Early Coding, Foundational Physics and Mathematics Win …

I have received a lot of questions after my recent articles on jobs, future opportunities and redesigns in our economies: “I want my child to be a successful coder, what do you suggest we do now in this secondary education phase?” First, I am not a career counselor and have zero license in that space. Nonetheless, from my experiences and others I know, a child who is well groomed in physics, mathematics and chemistry at the foundational phases has a better chance of thriving, than one, who is forced to start coding and learning computer languages, without those basics.

The best developers and creators in computer science and engineering are great math and physics persons. The challenges you solve are first of the natural philosophy type, and which must be solved at the mathematics and physics level, before they are translated into codes. The coding is not really the zenith: mathematics and physics define everything.

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As a PhD student in Johns Hopkins, my main project for a course titled Computer Integrated Surgery was to build a machine that can control a needle via an endoscope/laryngoscope to get through the larynx to enable a doctor perform minimally invasive surgery of the throat, with da Vinci medical robot connected.

It was a really tough engineering problem but looking at all, one had to solve complex mathematical equations which will ensure you can track the needle, the equipment, human tissues (you use markers), etc. We were grouped in pairs!

I had booked a flight to Scotland and needed to travel. I did the equations and sent the written math to my colleague, and left for Scotland. He implemented it in Python (my Python coding was basic).

But he did one more thing: he wrote a complaint to the professor that I allowed him to do the work. When I returned, the professor summoned two of us, and asked what happened. I explained that I did the math but with limited experience using Python (just largely coming from Lagos), I asked him to help since he was proficient with it.

Right there, Prof Taylor said “Nd, you did this”? I responded and the guy confirmed. The Prof gave me a fellowship, and gave me a lab space, and I joined his computer science group, expanding my fellowships.

He explained – the focus of the PhD is solving the math, not writing codes. With that, I had two labs – one in electrical and electronics engineering, and another in the computer science department. Hope that explains what really matters!