Hooray for Math!

"Researchers at Harvard University and the University of Virginia have found that high school coursework in one of the sciences generally does not predict better college performance in other scientific disciplines. But there's one notable exception: Students with the most rigorous high school preparation in mathematics perform significantly better in college courses in biology, chemistry, and physics."

This is the property I always loved about math: it applies to practically everything. However, I'd argue that it is a branch of philosophy, not science. After all, algebra is really just symbolic logic. As such, in some ways it is more closely related to religion than it is to the sciences. Perhaps this offers an insight as to why mathematicians tend to be more religious than the scientists, though still far below the rate of belief in the general population.

Check out the full story. And here is a good analysis.