Tag: mathematics
Dragons, Soundings, and a Little Historical Context
In a world of internet, air conditioning, and suburbs, it might seem like all the dragons have been slain and there are no adventures to be had. But frontiers exist still, and when you journey into the wild beyond, you want to travel properly armed. I was out there once, and I got caught short. I want to share this story because it is deeply instructive. Continue reading “Dragons, Soundings, and a Little Historical Context”
The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics
At the dinner, I was seated next to a 18-month-old. She slid her hand under a napkin and pulled it out again. Strangely, her hand was still there. She repeated this action many times, puzzled as to why her hand wasn’t vanishing. A few times, I pressed her hand from above the napkin to demonstrate that, not only did the hand still exist, but it retained all tactile functionality. This mystery of object permanence was baffling, and she concluded that future research was going to be necessary. First, though, there were cookies to eat. Continue reading “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics”
Of a Sphinx Athwart the Evening Sky 