1212: Hot Box

[Rufio]

Originally Posted by hayroob

Active participation in a show you don't like is some shit I will never be able to get my mind around.

I can like and support the show without HAVING to wear something KATG on the 4th of july

[da_ticklah]

Originally Posted by Subsonix

Why would any vote "NO" on this poll? Assholes.
......

cuz they don't love America

USA! USA! USA!

[DWarrior]

I go to school in Minneapolis. The only people here who have the Minnesota accent around the campus area are the lunch ladies.

[hayroob]

Originally Posted by Rufio

I can like and support the show without HAVING to wear something KATG on the 4th of july

Because getting a pin or a sticker would be soooo terrible.

Might give you cancer.

Scratch that, will give you cancer.

I understand and apologize.

[siric]

Nope, but I live in Utah, the home of no fun on Sunday.

[DWarrior]

This is the fourth time you brought up Perelman on the show now, and this is the fourth time you tell him how to spend his money.

The guy did math all his life, solved a problem the foremost mathematicians weren't able to solve in a hundred years, and now refuses to do any more math. He got pissed because a couple of people tried to take credit and this is his. Sure, he took away that specific prize, and perhaps it would have been solved in the next 50 years, but his solution opens the door for mathematicians to do other work (this is the reason the problem carried the hefty prize, because it's important to mathematics). In fact, a lot of people built up mathematics assuming the conjecture was true, and others built up mathematics that assumed the conjecture was false. So not only can future mathematicians work off this theorem to develop more mathematics, but his work justified all of those people who explored the possibility that it was true.





What's important to note is that this is a problem of higher-dimensional geometry. The same theorem is easy to visualize in 3d and was easy to prove for 3 dimensions, but it's the 4-dimensional sphere that presented the problem. The proof basically lets us classify 4 dimensional spaces. It will be important for physics because our space is believed to be curved, and 4-dimensional geometry deals with curved 3d spaces.

He doesn't have his shit together, but he is a genius. And if he never takes the million dollars, he certainly provided a lot more value to the math community.

And I wasn't really calling you dumb, I was just saying he didn't take anything away from anybody. Besides, this sort of stuff is way beyond me too, I tried to sit in on a seminar on 4-dimensional differential geometry and couldn't understand a word they were saying.

[AronSora]

Someone, quickly, remix Chemda saying "where is the gold at"...that could be the best rave song ever!

[Keith]

Originally Posted by DWarrior

What's important to note is that this is a problem of higher-dimensional geometry.

I humbly disagree. I don't think it's important to note at all.

[Zomniac]

I humbly disagree on your disagreement, Keith. The solving of this mathematical conjecture, while not easily apparent, could lead to development of multi-dimensional physics applications. I can think of at least one application, which has eluded us at least since we, as the human race, thought to travel in space: the ability to travel in less conventional, possibly ultra-dimensional, means, cutting travel time from one body (Earth) to others many trillions of light years away, into the blink of an eye, and without time contraction or expansion.

Let's put it more simply than that, and a LOT lest nerdy... math solves physical problems all the time, and I can see a day when the solving of this conjecture leads to the so called "teleporter" or instantaneous travel, turning physical objects into energy and visa-versa, or maybe other things we cannot even think about now.

The possibilites are just there, and endless.

On another note, I sort-of understand why this math genius recluse might not want to take the money, I might even understand why he wouldn't take it and donate it to charity or set up a trust or scholarship. Money changes everything. It turns the meekest of people into the biggest assholes. It also increases the amount of stress and work that one must do in order to keep it. And, by accepting the money, and possibly donating it, etc. he would be buying into that, and I'm sure the man only wishes to continue to live with his mother and solve maths. In other words, there really is no reason other than he hates change, like many reclusive geniuses. It's the way of their mind. Why question it? The guy is doing amazing work, let him do it, and stop trying to rationalize his behavior lest we kill the goose laying the golden eggs.

[Zomniac]

DWarrior, you'll like this. I was trying very hard to explain why this conjecture is important to my brother when a simpler exlplanation hit me. This conjecture has applications in defining the shape of the universe, correct?

Well, I explained to him that it was like giving directions to a store three blocks away when the person that you are giving the directions to (and possibly you) has/have no idea what the definition of a block is.

This conjecture is one step (maybe small, maybe huge) to defining the shape of the universe and giving us the ability to travel in it.

Simple, no? Or maybe my hypothetical is way off base, I'm not sure.