My older displayname was user2711689.

Learned some chemistry/biochemistry at my mother's knee.

Taught myself basic electronics (amplifiers, oscillators. logic gates) while in high school.

Two years mechanical engineering (undergrad)

Worked two jobs as a computer programmer 18 months each. Wrote drivers for 5 devices. Computations including area and centroid from coordinate stream, curve-fitting, and equipmentlayout geometry.

Returned to school, BA and MS in Mathematics.

Worked rebuilding locomotive traction motors in a factory.