tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post3881459533080731304..comments2024-03-18T22:15:24.770-05:00Comments on Althouse: Grigory Perelman, math genius, living in a tiny apartment in St. Petersburg, doesn't want that $1 million prize.Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-26469646116988410712012-04-07T10:01:58.761-05:002012-04-07T10:01:58.761-05:00He loves what he does.
A chalk, board, bunch of pa...He loves what he does.<br />A chalk, board, bunch of papers and ink..is what he all needs.<br />He don't need a million for that.<br />He would rather be pleased if some one offers insights or different perceptions based on his work rather than propagandizing the feat he has achieved.Mayukhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05315176903401812866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-45212297868576277592010-04-24T09:55:31.593-05:002010-04-24T09:55:31.593-05:00why he rejected? Read 'New yorker' 24 Augu...why he rejected? Read 'New yorker' 24 August,2006. Don't comment as you like!<br /><br />His rejection is slap on entire degraded moral ethical standards in the entire society and particularly in research field.<br /><br />Entire society salutes him for his modesty and his intellect and his service to further progress of knowledge.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16650073602851137556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-23758619288124742412010-04-01T06:35:38.786-05:002010-04-01T06:35:38.786-05:00Perhaps Perelman already knows what Ithacas mean?:...Perhaps Perelman already knows what Ithacas mean?:<br /><br />"When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,<br />pray that the road is long,<br />full of adventure, full of knowledge.<br />The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,<br />the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them:<br />You will never find such as these on your path,<br />if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine<br />emotion touches your spirit and your body.<br />The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,<br />the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,<br />if you do not carry them within your soul,<br />if your soul does not set them up before you.<br /><br />Pray that the road is long.<br />That the summer mornings are many, when,<br />with such pleasure, with such joy<br />you will enter ports seen for the first time;<br />stop at Phoenician markets,<br />and purchase fine merchandise,<br />mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,<br />and sensual perfumes of all kinds,<br />as many sensual perfumes as you can;<br />visit many Egyptian cities,<br />to learn and learn from scholars.<br /><br />Always keep Ithaca in your mind.<br />To arrive there is your ultimate goal.<br />But do not hurry the voyage at all.<br />It is better to let it last for many years;<br />and to anchor at the island when you are old,<br />rich with all you have gained on the way,<br />not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.<br /><br />Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.<br />Without her you would have never set out on the road.<br />She has nothing more to give you.<br /><br />And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.<br />Wise as you have become, with so much experience,<br />you must already have understood what Ithacas mean."<br /><br />Constantine P. Cavafy (1911)Apuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09535023175797287919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-15172301030668635772010-04-01T06:28:58.826-05:002010-04-01T06:28:58.826-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Apuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09535023175797287919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-19519469413095242472010-03-26T02:22:05.339-05:002010-03-26T02:22:05.339-05:00@Andrea
You tell it. A good 50 percent of my fami...@Andrea<br /><br />You tell it. A good 50 percent of my family is like this on my Dad's side. The whole family feels the affects and most of you are so far off, it's unreal.<br /><br />Example: My uncle got the best grades his undergrad dean had seen in 100 years. Perfect grade point at MIT, etc.<br /><br />Very gentle of soul, he did alright for a while, then some jackass ridiculed him at a company social function and he retreated. Never came out again.<br /><br />Ever.<br /><br />Is it really worth the loss of the kind of benefits that special level of brainpower can bring to society so y'all can be snarky about how they are manipulating it to make themselves go down in the history books and/or whether they are "socially smart"? Must you make life unlivable when we clearly have someone here who is several cuts above "Housewives of Orange County"?<br /><br />God.jamboreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10072654852275348264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-37469606470852480532010-03-25T01:44:55.664-05:002010-03-25T01:44:55.664-05:00Perhaps Perelman has reached a higher wisdom and b...Perhaps Perelman has reached a higher wisdom and believes that accepting prizes and prize money would make him indolent, having the same effect as tenure in making so many academics lazy and unproductive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-45081016309822692242010-03-25T01:37:07.699-05:002010-03-25T01:37:07.699-05:00I respect him, surrounded as he is by stupidity.
...I respect him, surrounded as he is by stupidity.<br /><br />Gee, I WISH HE WAS BLACK so the point could be clearer,...The Crack Emceehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08366101526773588864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-36335302892668368432010-03-25T00:48:04.066-05:002010-03-25T00:48:04.066-05:00Nora, my google-fu is weak today, and I can't ...Nora, my google-fu is weak today, and I can't find any reference to Feynman and the American Academy of Sciences. Got a quote, or a link?Kirk Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05921711310191924997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-31769343064795568182010-03-25T00:39:08.955-05:002010-03-25T00:39:08.955-05:00I know only one thing. When ever u want to gain so...I know only one thing. When ever u want to gain something just go for it. Don't think u have resources or not. If u have tried the best u could but does'nt find the solution then God will help u and u will find the solution from divine which may have no logic but u will find the answer.Web Developmenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12215672038560076619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-27360739244059230872010-03-25T00:13:34.970-05:002010-03-25T00:13:34.970-05:00Maybe he's done the math.
Odds of a million d...Maybe he's done the math.<br /><br />Odds of a million dollar windfall making someone's life happier overall: not very good.<br /><br />Odds of a million dollar windfall making someone's life miserable: decent.<br /><br />Evidence: lottery winners.<br /><br />Maybe he thinks it's not worth the risk. <br /><br />Also, he is, at the least, right about fame, isn't he? Why do people desire that? Sure, he probably wants his ideas to be famous and useful, but what good comes from oneself being famous? The consequences seem mostly undesirable.Freeman Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16202310075717963694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-44950841344960846252010-03-24T22:44:57.499-05:002010-03-24T22:44:57.499-05:00I'm sure Ann is not mocking him. I take her at...I'm sure Ann is not mocking him. I take her at her word. Mathematicians are so not hot. Excuse me while I pinch a loaf.Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11205752419540502278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-76788561548512685512010-03-24T22:37:59.214-05:002010-03-24T22:37:59.214-05:00This is what comes of living a lifetime under comm...This is what comes of living a lifetime under communist oppression. He probably figures that if he has anything valuable it will be stolen from him by criminals.Anga2010https://www.blogger.com/profile/03065973927621559044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-43562084115294956952010-03-24T22:26:50.535-05:002010-03-24T22:26:50.535-05:00I'm not mocking him. I'm completely seriou...I'm not mocking him. I'm completely serious.Ann Althousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-50862207385032786182010-03-24T21:33:28.185-05:002010-03-24T21:33:28.185-05:00I suggest the Fields medal go to Matt Damon, so we...I suggest the Fields medal go to Matt Damon, so we can watch him stride onto stage, clutching a copy of his dog-eared Zinn <i>vade mecum</i>.<br /><br />*Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-58325207649437077392010-03-24T21:17:15.338-05:002010-03-24T21:17:15.338-05:00"He seems to be so wrong, but he is so much s..."He seems to be so wrong, but he is so much smarter than we are. Should we not absorb his opinion with awe and respect?"<br /><br />You understand that this is a guy who definitely comprehends the meaning and ramifications of trillion, right?<br /><br />Irony.Oligonicellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17656818633822942314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-5487726602737024952010-03-24T21:16:35.725-05:002010-03-24T21:16:35.725-05:00celebrate good times, c'mon .... lets celebrat...celebrate good times, c'mon .... lets celebrate ! there's a party going on right here ... a celebration, to last throughout the year ....<br /><br />seriously.<br /><br />sure raf, whatever you say.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16257844485987121058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-17824069261065888802010-03-24T20:40:34.257-05:002010-03-24T20:40:34.257-05:00@Paul, because it's actually non-Euclidean.@Paul, because it's actually non-Euclidean.Big Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831645119853118904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-2440891640521491422010-03-24T20:39:27.827-05:002010-03-24T20:39:27.827-05:00Perelman doen't realize he is living in a soci...Perelman doen't realize he is living in a socialist milieu. It is not for him to judge the appropriateness of this prize. He must be forced to accept it <i>pour encourager les autres</i>. After all, what does he really know about what he needs? Only politicians and their hirelings can make these judgements.rafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03234144949583399000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-76407315520785606192010-03-24T20:34:00.536-05:002010-03-24T20:34:00.536-05:00Danielle:Usually adults are able to deal with feel...<i>Danielle:Usually adults are able to deal with feelings of disappointment on their own.</i><br /><br />Which is why I never<br />heard "selected, not elected" after the the 2000 election, right? Nor "Bush lied, people died." Seems to me your version of adult is in short supply all over the political spectrum.<br /><br />I would add: adults don't dance in the endzone, but that is clearly a lost cause.<br /><br />wv: strings. HCE comes with attachments that will not be apparent for awhile. OR, (for the other side) the sound of very small violins.rafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03234144949583399000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-31069431199723224852010-03-24T20:32:47.447-05:002010-03-24T20:32:47.447-05:00I wonder why people clamor to turn someone like Pe...I wonder why people clamor to turn someone like Perelman into a "prize winning" celebrity? Maybe they just want something to distract them from their own barren lives.Peanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10300220285833876977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-40393923373573848582010-03-24T20:24:42.745-05:002010-03-24T20:24:42.745-05:00Can't I just contemplate the Cartesian grid of...Can't I just contemplate the Cartesian grid of my waffle?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-76436598544091238322010-03-24T19:52:43.542-05:002010-03-24T19:52:43.542-05:00@too many jims, no, it's for me to apologize t...@too many jims, no, it's for me to apologize to you for not picking up on your sarcasm.<br /><br />Ever since I read the book (vastly better than the movie) I've been in awe of the young (pre-paranoid) John Nash. I had waded through <b>Theory of Games and Economic Behavior</b> back in the day, and the notion that Nash could understand all that material, find the fundamental problem at its core, and resolve it in 28 double-spaced pages, is mind-boggling.Big Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831645119853118904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-15459943042933162812010-03-24T19:31:39.592-05:002010-03-24T19:31:39.592-05:00Eric said...@ 6:57 PM
True, unless you live in ma...Eric said...@ 6:57 PM<br /><br />True, unless you live in mafia infested StPetersburg. Then there might be different consequences.<br /><br />BTW, unexpected consequences. Most prbably majority of us would not hear about the guy if not for his refusal to collect the prize. <br /><br />vw: yophy - means beauty in Hebrew.Norahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15401100627066769252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-88878594226254868262010-03-24T19:28:20.296-05:002010-03-24T19:28:20.296-05:00Hlatky: Adults neither seek nor accept prizes for...Hlatky: <i>Adults neither seek nor accept prizes for their work.</i><br /><br />Triangle: <i>What principle motivates that statement?</i><br /><br /><i>There was this great article linked from Instapundit yesterday about how effective prizes are for inspiring innovation. A real libertarian ideal.</i><br /><br />Honor not honors.<br /><br />The humility of the proud man who seeks only to fulfill God's idea of himself.<br /><br />The man in love with truth and beauty to whom all else is dross. And screechingly annoying.<br /><br />That sort of thing.<br /><br />Granted, money and prestige work better as a motivator for most of the rest of us.Moira Breenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00456090223335583421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-74933113490670613412010-03-24T19:25:35.820-05:002010-03-24T19:25:35.820-05:00...he is so much smarter than we are...
I am tryi...<i>...he is so much smarter than we are...</i><br /><br />I am trying to figure out if you, Professor, are mocking him or if you are trying to be serious.<br /><br />If you are mocking him, then for what??! For solving an extremely difficult math problem, and then asking to be left the fuck alone?! The solution was an actual achievement, you know, and his honest and clearly expressed desire for privacy does not deserve scorn.<br /><br />Or are you serious? You, Miss First-in-Her-Class-at-NYU??? How would you feel if we pointed out that you are "so much smarter" than us commenting here in your blog posts. Wouldn't you think of it as insulting? <br /><br />The fact that articles and blog posts are continually written about this dude shows how much the mass conformist mob will harass you if you just want to live and be left alone. The world needs Perelman, he doesn't need the world.<br /><br />And then NPR, as one of the commenters noted, postulates that he is "clinically depressed". Yeah, the concept of self-imposed solitude is so fucking foreign to modern sensibility that we need to make it into some sort of medically-termed human malfunction.<br /><br />Unless, of course, you are a sailor or a monk or another religious person. Then society accepts your reasons for self-imposed solitude. The mob offers a "God and boating exemption" from its suffocating continual push to consume your individualism.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com