Monday, February 27, 2006
JSH: Your corrupt discipline
So now some of you know, the mathematical field is corrupt.
I don't know exactly when it happened but at some point over the last hundred years the discipline was corrupted and at this point, spectacular results can be blocked by most mathematicians simply doing
nothing.
And they know that they can just do nothing.
So why am I talking to undergrads?
Because the grads are corrupted as well.
You are on your way to being corrupted as that's part of the training of being a modern mathematician, but at this crucial point, learning that those professors you trust are not to be trusted, and realizing that your efforts at learning what you think are important mathematical theorems are a waste of time, some of you won't be able to do it.
That's the point.
SOME of you will find that knowing you're getting fed b.s. you just can't force yourself to just play along.
I don't know exactly when it happened but at some point over the last hundred years the discipline was corrupted and at this point, spectacular results can be blocked by most mathematicians simply doing
nothing.
And they know that they can just do nothing.
So why am I talking to undergrads?
Because the grads are corrupted as well.
You are on your way to being corrupted as that's part of the training of being a modern mathematician, but at this crucial point, learning that those professors you trust are not to be trusted, and realizing that your efforts at learning what you think are important mathematical theorems are a waste of time, some of you won't be able to do it.
That's the point.
SOME of you will find that knowing you're getting fed b.s. you just can't force yourself to just play along.
# posted by James Harris @ 22:49 
