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cover of episode 1. John Paulos, Mathematician, Temple University

1. John Paulos, Mathematician, Temple University

2021/8/5
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John Paulos: 我从小就具备批判性思维,这体现在我对语言和概念的细致观察,例如我小时候就注意到"dog"和"God"这两个词的字母排列的巧合。这种批判性思维贯穿我的学习和工作始终,例如我在小学时就纠正了老师关于棒球投手自责分平均值的错误计算,这让我意识到逻辑和算术的重要性。我的阅读经历进一步强化了我的批判性思维,我从蒙田、罗素等作家的作品中汲取了怀疑论的思想,并将其运用到我的数学研究和科普写作中。我写作的风格也受到蒙田的影响,我倾向于用简洁明了、通俗易懂的方式来解释复杂的数学概念,并常常借助小故事、笑话和寓言来达到这个目的。我并不擅长预测股市,但我相信通过对数学和逻辑的理解,可以更好地分析和理解世界。 Christopher G. Moore: 作为一名数学家,约翰·保罗斯的语言表达能力和数学天赋令人印象深刻。他的科普作品以简洁生动的语言解释复杂的数学概念,并善于运用故事、笑话和寓言等方式来阐明数学思想。这与他从小热爱阅读,并从蒙田、罗素、休谟等哲学家和作家的作品中汲取了丰富的思想资源密不可分。他的阅读经历不仅塑造了他的批判性思维,也丰富了他的语言表达能力,使他能够以独特的视角看待数学问题,并将其清晰地传达给大众。

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John Paulos's inherent skepticism, evident from a young age, influenced his choice of books and his approach to mathematics and communication. A childhood anecdote about challenging his teacher's flawed calculation illustrates this early inclination towards logical reasoning and critical thinking.
  • Early skepticism and critical thinking
  • Anecdote about challenging a teacher's calculation
  • Influence of skepticism on work

Shownotes Transcript

John Paulos is a respected international communicator of mathematics. His books and essays display a broad fluency in language and mathematical talent and skills. He's been intrigued by the idea of skepticism since he was very young. He wrote a letter to Bertrand Russell asking about Hegel’s argument and got a reply back. The following year, to his surprise, he found the biography book of Russell with his response to John’s question. He resonates very much with the authors whose ideas are about skepticism like Milchel de Montaigne and Bertrand Russell.