[Chat] Is God a Mathematician?

[Emil Volcheck]

Dear neighbors,

This Wednesday (tomorrow) at the Village Learning Place
Dr. Mario Livio, Senior Astrophysicist at the Space
Telescope Science Institute, will discuss his new
book titled "Is God a Mathematician?" which
treats the relationship of mathematics and
the natural world.

Title:  Is God a Mathematician?
When: Wednesday, January 14, 7-9 pm
Where: The Village Learning Place
           2521 Saint Paul St.
phone: (410) 235-2210


Below is a review of his book that I found on Amazon.

--Emil

-----

>From Publishers Weekly

The title of astrophysicist Livio's latest wide-ranging science survey
is a teaser since God rarely makes an appearance; along with the
French astronomer Laplace, Livio has no need of that
hypothesis. Rather, Livio (The Golden Ratio) is concerned with the
contentious question: is mathematics a human invention? Or is it the
intricate design of the universe that we are slowly discovering?
Scientists in past centuries have argued for the latter, Platonist
position. In the last 50 years, however, many scientists, calling into
question the whole idea of scientific discovery, maintain that we have
invented mathematics. Livio gives as one example the famous golden
ratio, which has fascinated Western mathematicians for millennia and
was originally emphasized for its mystical symbolism. But Chinese
mathematicians, not sharing that outlook, didn't discover it—or maybe
they just didn't need to invent it. Livio hedges his bets,
unsatisfyingly arguing that mathematics is partly discovered and
partly invented. But Livio is a smooth writer. His fans will enjoy
this book, and new ones may discover him. B&w illus. (Jan. 6)



-- 
Emil Volcheck
volcheck at acm.org
http://EmilVolcheck.com/