As a mathematician, I always feel alienated, because of how little people know about maths, and because every non mathematician just scares when you start explaining something, even the easiest thing. “Oh, please, stop. Anyway I won’t get a thing”. This is the regular reaction of people.
Most people don’t know what #math is. But the worst part is, that they not only don’t know, they don’t want to know. Math scares them. Even physics doesn’t scare them as much, as math. Maybe because there is something that can be shown. (And also due to the great books of Stephan #Hawking and Carl #Sagan) But when it comes to Mathematics, everything becomes more complicated, because you can’t show it. It’s too abstract. And, it even doesn’t really exist. :)
So, I don’t have to say how much I appreciate when I see a popular #book about #maths. For me, as a reader, Edward #Frenkel's book “Love and Math” was a great read. (especially the beginning of the book, last chapter or two were bullshit…ehm, sorry). He showed how much Math mattered. He showed that it’s not a tool for #physics, but it can be the one which directs it.
Today I wanted to write about other book, a comic book about #logic “Logicomix”. When I started writing this post, I realized that what I want to say and how I feel about this book, is not quite about the book. This book. It’s more about my view of math, and how it should be represented to non mathematicians. And my concerns about this book are not relevant. They have done what they thought was important, telling all these stories about #Russell and war, and not paying that much attention to #Gödel, #Turing and Von Neumann. (Actually there was too little math in it. But I was very impressed when they wrote about #Frege (without explaining his system, without pointing out differences between Frege’s and #Aristotle's systems)).
Now I’m considering writing small blog posts on math for non mathematicians :)
