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cover of episode Can Mathematics Fuel Creativity? With Marcus du Sautoy (Part One)

Can Mathematics Fuel Creativity? With Marcus du Sautoy (Part One)

2025/5/13
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Intelligence Squared

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C
Conor Boyle
M
Marcus de Sautoy
M
Mia Sorrenti
S
Shini Samara
Topics
Mia Sorrenti: 我认为数学和创造力并非截然不同,而是紧密相连的。无论是在抽象绘画中寻找意义,还是在诗歌中寻找模式,数学的蓝图都无处不在,例如对称性、素数、黄金比例等等。我们之前与Marcus一起举办过关于棋盘游戏以及游戏对人类理解生活和世界的重要性的活动,今年很荣幸再次邀请到Marcus来到Intelligence Squared的舞台,和Shini Samara博士一起探讨数学与创造力之间的互动。 Conor Boyle: 我喜欢创造力,但讨厌数学,我很期待Marcus能否说服我。 Marcus de Sautoy: 我认为创造力是新的、令人惊讶的,并且具有价值的东西。数学实际上是关于讲故事的,试图讲述一个故事,帮助我们理解我们在宇宙中的位置。数学有潜力更具创造力,因为我们可以创造不一定与我们所居住的宇宙相匹配的世界。数学家是被一种美或审美所驱动的,而不是功能性。教育系统辜负了我们,因为它只关注实用性。数学的发展是为了控制和理解我们周围的环境,但后来我们变得可以自由地开始思考数学本身的意义。虽然数学家的动力通常是非常有创造力的,但我们所做的事情是因为它与我们周围的现实世界有关,所以通常会变得有用,但这不是我们的动机。 Shini Samara: 我喜欢这本书的一点是,你谈到了数学在创造力中的作用。你谈到了音乐、舞蹈、诗歌以及这些创造性追求的结构。但在书的结尾,你又谈到了随机性和机遇,以及达达艺术运动,这种运动实际上是在破坏所有这些,并将它们撕成碎片扔到空中。

Deep Dive

Chapters
This chapter explores the intersection of mathematics and creativity, challenging the common perception of them as polar opposites. It delves into the emotional and storytelling aspects of mathematics, highlighting how mathematicians are driven by aesthetics and the pursuit of new connections, not just utility. The chapter also discusses how mathematical structures, while often having practical applications, are initially motivated by creative impulses.
  • Creativity defined as something new, surprising, and valuable
  • Mathematics as storytelling and a means to create worlds beyond physical reality
  • Mathematicians driven by beauty, aesthetics, and narrative, not just utility
  • Mathematical discoveries often find unexpected practical applications

Shownotes Transcript

From the earliest stone circles to Mozart’s obsession with numbers to the radically modern architecture of Zaha Hadid, maths and creativity are interwoven across time and space. Whether we are searching for meaning in an abstract painting or finding patterns in poetry, there are blueprints everywhere: symmetry, prime numbers, the golden ratio and more.

In May 2025 we were joined by award-winning mathematician and Oxford professor Marcus du Sautoy as he looked to the arts to uncover the key mathematical structures that underpin both nature and human creativity. Drawing on his new book, Blueprints, du Sautoy explored how we make art, why a creative mindset is vital for discovering new mathematics, and how a fundamental connection to the natural world intrinsically links these two subjects.


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