[Blindmath] analyze of experimental results

[Susan Jolly]

Christine, thanks for the helpful feedback.

Iddo, I'm shocked if your professor has led you to think it can't all be 
done by computer.  The general field is called numerical analysis.  More 
specifically, fitting data is related to regression and interpolation.  This 
is a huge and sophisticated subject and much too much to address in a short 
email.

I will just emphasize that there are many different methods for fitting data 
and the method you choose to fit a given data set has to be appropiate.  For 
example, if you try to fit data that is, say, shaped something like a 
parabola to a straight line, it won't work very well.  However, the computer 
program used for fitting the data should supply enough error information 
that you can tell whether or not the method you chosen is appropriate.

More generally there are a lot of important and interesting problems in 
computational mathematics that don't require visual approaches for their 
solution.  So if you enjoy mathematics and computing I encourage you to 
explore this field.

Years ago, either before computers or before it was easy to get computers to 
draw graphs, etc., such work was mainly done by secretaries and other 
assistants, not by scientists whose time was too valuable to waste on 
routine tasks. Now, of course, there are sophisticated tools that make make 
it possible for sighted persons to do some routine tasks more quickly by 
themselves than to get someone else to do it.  However, it makes me sad when 
I get the impression that students are spending the majority of their time 
learning to use particular tools rather than increasing their understanding 
of science, math, and/or engineering.

Best wishes,
Susan