A few words of explanation, in general terms
27th May, 2008
I rewatched Breaking The Code the other night, the TV adaptation of Hugh Whitemore’s play of the life of Alan Turing, in turn based on Andrew Hodges’ book Alan Turing: the enigma.
It’s a wonderful film, not least for Derek Jacobi’s performance as Turing. I’ve embedded below the scene where he goes to Bletchley Park for the first time, and is interviewed by Dilly Knox (Richard Johnson). I love this speech. When I first saw it, I was struck by the contrast with every other film about maths that I’d seen. It doesn’t lazily misunderstand Turing, so as to portray him as a misunderstood genius, obsessed with the incomprehensible. But it makes a real effort to let him say why he’s so passionate about his research, and explain what it is actually about. For me, it beautifully captures the drama within mathematics itself.
Categories: Maths, Logic | Comments (0) | Permalink
Defecating on an infinite number of keyboards
21st May, 2008
Everyone knows that if an infinite number of monkeys bash away at an infinite number of typewriters, then eventually one will write the complete works of Shakespeare.
So, in 2003, some researchers at the University of Plymouth decided to test this theory, at Paignton Zoo. Unfortunately they were limited to having only one month, one computer, and six monkeys (Sulawesi crested macaques Elmo, Gum, Heather, Holly, Mistletoe and Rowan).
The initial results were not encouraging: “the lead male got a stone and started bashing the hell out of it… Another thing they were interested in was in defecating and urinating all over the keyboard”.
But who’s to say that isn’t how Shakespeare started out?
After a while the monkeys began to get the idea, and set to work enthusiastically. In such restricted conditions, it’s understandable that their final manuscript [pdf] lacks the intricacy of the bard’s work. Nevertheless, it’s a good first attempt, which I look forward to seeing on stage.
[via Elliott]
Categories: General Science, Maths | Comments (0) | Permalink
Mangling the universal language
20th May, 2008
I just received an email from the TDA trying to recruit me as a maths teacher:
“The universal language of numbers is ubiquitous. And its applications in the real world are infinitesimal.”
So it’s everywhere, and it’s almost completely pointless: the Bruce Forsyth of languages.
Ah well, I guess it’s not his mother tongue.
Categories: Nonsense | Comments (1) | Permalink