As Leibniz suggested, we appear to live in the best of all possible worlds, where the computable functions make life predictable enough to be survivable, while the uncomputable functions make life (and mathematical truth) unpredictable enough to remain interesting, no matter how far computers continue to advance
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Cantor s Paradise
“Most mathematicians prove what they can, von Neumann proves what he wants”
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It is indeed supremely difficult to effectively refute the claim that John von Neumann is likely the most intelligent person who has ever lived. By the time of his death in 1957 at the modest age of 53, the Hungarian polymath had not only revolutionized several subfields of mathematics and physics but also made foundational contributions to pure economics and statistics and taken key parts in the invention of the atomic bomb, nuclear energy and digital computing.
Figure 1: Hubert, the author’s cheerful plush ladybug flatmate.
Meet Hubert. For going on ten years now, Hubert has shared a living space with my wife and me. He’s a generally cheerful fellow, optimistic to a fault, occasionally prone to a little mischief; in fact, my wife, upon seeing the picture, remarked that he looked inordinately well-behaved. He’s fond of chocolate and watching TV, which may be the reason why his chief dwelling place is our couch, where most of the TV-watching and chocolate-eating transpires. He also likes to dance, is curious, but sometimes gets overwhelmed by his own enthusiasm.
The Duties of John von Neumann s Assistant in the 1930s | by Jørgen Veisdal cantorsparadise.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cantorsparadise.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.