I am bewildered at the plethora of verbiage poured out on the first two topics. I studied math as a grad student scholar at Cambridge and CIT, but don't understand most of the big words your correspondents use. I know, its my ignorance! But, to be constructive, I put forward a modest proposal: that correspondents holding forth on scientific/mathematical issues provide examples and algebra (or, even better, numbers) supporting their polysyllabic pronunciamentos. My advisors always gave examples of concepts I challenged. Except once, where one said, This theorem is so GENERAL that its impossible to find a good example! I did not have the temerity to respond in the immortal words of Richard Feynman, Surely you jest, Dr XXX! Your correspondent noted that F was poor mathematician. We were both on the faculty of CIT. I knew Dick and his family socially for 30 years, but perhaps it was not long enough to see that side of his Promethean personality. He was an inveterate joker, always claiming that he knew no math and mocking those who used pomposity instead of science to make a case. I am not qualified to judge his math ability, but folks who were, physicist friends from Los Alamos (in the competent Manhattan days) and CIT, marveled at Feynmans math ingenuity. So, I dunno. I'm suppose your correspondent knew him and his works better. I'm sure a FRIAM member would never make an unsupported statement.
Peter Lissaman, Da Vinci Ventures Expertise is not knowing everything, but knowing what to look for. 1454 Miracerros Loop South, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 TEL: (505) 983-7728 FAX: (505) 983-1694
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