My "mini-blog" for quickly tossing up things of interest.
cjohnson.info
Mon
Nov
23
“ Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt.
Richard Feynman
Wed
Nov
11
“ Perhaps the most surprising thing about mathematics is that it is so surprising. The rules which we make up at the beginning seem ordinary and inevitable, but it is impossible to foresee their consequences. These have only been found out by long study, extending over many centuries. Much of our knowledge is due to a comparatively few great mathematicians such as Newton, Euler, Gauss, or Riemann; few careers can have been more satisfying than theirs. They have contributed something to human thought even more lasting than great literature, since it is independent of language.
E. C. Titchmarsh
Wed
Oct
21
“ There’s a mathematician whose non-mathematician friends are constantly ribbing him because his field is just so abstract and seems to have no relevance to the real world. One day, it gets to him, and he resolves to arm himself with some practical applications of research mathematics for the next encounter. He realizes that his own specialty (mathematical logic) is probably too far beyond them to be of any use there, so he goes to the department bulletin board to find an upcoming talk about something practical. Luckily, a talk is scheduled that afternoon on “the theory of gears.” “Perfect!” he says. Nothing could be more practical, more down-to-earth. Finally, he’ll be able to prove to his friends that mathematics is relevant to the real world. That afternoon, he’s so excited that he goes to the talk five minutes early and sits in the first row of seats. Then, at the scheduled time, the speaker stands up and begins: “While the theory of gears with real numbers of teeth is well understood….
Posted by Darsh on Math Overflow
Thu
Oct
15
“ To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step towards knowledge.
Benjamin Disraeli
Wed
Jul
29
“ The secret of the demagogue is to appear as dumb as his audience, so that they can believe themselves as smart as he.
Karl Kraus
Tue
Jul
28
CSI Myths: The Shaky Science Behind Forensics
“Forensic science was not developed by scientists. It was mostly created by cops, who were guided by little more than common sense. And as hundreds of criminal cases begin to unravel, many established forensic practices are coming under fire. PM [Popular Mechanics] takes an in-depth look at the shaky science that has put innocent people behind bars.”
Fri
Jun
26
“ A conservative is one who admires radicals centuries after they’re dead.
Leo Rosten
Thu
Jun
25
“ Say nothing of my religion; it is known to myself and my god alone. Its evidence before the world is to be sought in my life; if that has been honest and dutiful to society, the religion which has regulated it cannot be a bad one.
Thomas Jefferson
Tue
Jun
23
Who was Neda?
A short article from CNN about Neda, an innocent women killed near a protest in Iran. I’ve heard mention of the video of her death, and on the one hand think it’s fascinating how this has gone around the Internet and been picked up by the media, but on the other hand find it very disturbing that someone’s final, dying moments are effectively an international spectacle. The piece in the article that particularly struck me was “Since her death, public displays of mourning for Neda have been prohibited, the friend said.”
