I stand on the shoulders of giants.

I see time as a three-digit number instead of a measurement. I was staring at the clock during Calculus class my junior year when I started manipulating the numbers so they would add, subtract, or multiply to equal each other. Ultimately, I heard the teacher mention roots of polynomials, and then the idea came to me: factoring time.

In spite of my newly found way to pass the time, I still sought more. After all, nobody would want to have one unique hobby when there are endless possibilities. By the end of first quarter, I had taken on several different left-brain based practices. When I wasn’t factoring time, I spent my time going over arguments or debates in my mind. Being from a governor’s school, my friends have diverse views, some of which contrast my own. The time I dedicate to the different hypothetical arguments sharpens my mind and quickens my thought process. The benefits of this are usefully when my mind wonders on scientific endeavors such as the origins of the universe or the possibility of time travel.

I do not have a good answer for why I am unable to have normal daydreams, but I like to attribute it to my natural curiosity. Over the past three years I have read essays, novels, and books dealing with complex mathematical concepts, like infinity or irrational numbers, and scientific research, such as the evolution of the heliocentric model of the solar system or the ever-changing string theory. In my pursuit of understanding how my mathematical and scientific heroes thought, I have read countless biographies and essays. Copernicus and Darwin, however, are held to a special esteem in my mind. After reading many essays about their work, I noticed a striking similarity between the two that I could also relate to myself. These two scientific patriarchs revolutionized science through their work because of their innate curiosity. Copernicus was curious about the universe and Darwin about the origins of species. The revolution started when Copernicus theorized that the Earth was not the center of the universe, and Darwin continued the anti-anthropocentrism when he viewed the origins of any given species more important than the origin of humans.

I feel a bond with these figures because of my unique way to pass the time, my intrinsic curiosity, and my desire to constantly better myself intellectually. In my studies, I have noticed that these two scientists had the same intellectual disposition that I believe I possess. Copernicus had his heavenly spheres, Darwin had his species, and I have my time.