Chemistry...

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Ok so I haven't been paying attention to chemistry because I have a big imagination. In other words, the more facts I know, the more limited my imagination gets. This is a very big deal since I am an aspie and I have a very literal mind. The more facts I know, the more I think literally and not abstractly. Thus limiting my imagination. I'd rather gain a future creating imaginary worlds and writing stories than having a mind based on nothing but facts with no creativity whatsoever. I like to write fantasy stories by the way. It's hard to think about a new creature with all of my knowledge of chemicals, molecular structure, and other facts breathing down my neck. Any suggestions on what I should do?

First, it is possible to be both a very literal thinker and be comfortable with abstractions; I would offer myselff as exhibit "A". You are correct that being literal doesn't harmonize well with fiction, and especially not fantasy, though more than a few scientists have appreciated fantasy, namely science fiction. My guess is these scientists are less literal than we are.

As far as science goes, prior to the development of science, there were two basic schools of thinkers: rationalists and empiricists. The genius of science was to synthesize these two schools into a new, coherent whole.

Consequently, I would treat the reality described by science, and appreciated by the literal mind, as your friend. It is not only more edifying, but will carry you much further in life. And since you are correct that aspies tend to be literal thinkers, it's a matter of being true to who we really are.

Good luck.

Thankyou for your input. :)

I don't really understand why chemistry would limit your creativity. If anything it should broaden it, by exposing you to some of the cool things you can do when you mix A + B together!

I hope you never take thermodynamics, because any hope you have of writing science fiction will be utterly destroyed. Sci-fi/fantasy shows are famous for violating at least one thermodynamic law .

I always had a lot of fun in chemistry. I would visualize things at the atomic level, thought it was lot of fun. Then you can scale up and try to figure out how what you have learned about chemistry applies the real word. Also, the periodic table is absolutely genius in it's organization.

I never really loved a lot of sci-fi before I took thermo, but now I can't stand it. And there are few things that make my blood boil more then when I see the exhaust back pressure being necessary myth.

That's strange, the more facts I know the more imaginative I get. When I learn something new I immediately connect it with stuff I already know and imagine all sorts of things about it. As a matter of fact that's essential if I am to actually retain what I am learning.

I am designing fairies that represent each of the fairies of the periodic table, and I'm going to draw them all out on the computer and hopefully publish a book on them. This involves studying their chemical properties, roles in nature and society, et cetera to help decide what they should look like, their colors, hairstyles, outfits, etc, as well as their emission spectra which will be shown in their wings. For example, I am going to make the Lanthanides into a rock band. Can you list some reasons why that fits? It's mostly a matter of deciding which one plays which instrument. Neodymium and Samarium are going to play guitar, Terbium and Dysprosium are going to be singers, Cerium is going to be a drummer with sparks flying off the drums, Thulium is going to play bass, etc. If you study the properties of these elements, you will discover why these choices are a good fit.

My favorite is the tiny ray guns that discharge infinite amounts of energy