On Sep 8, 10:48Â am, "Mike Schilling"
hotmail.com>
wrote:> Bill Snyder wrote:
>> On Mon, 8 Sep 2008 08:14:21 -0700 (PDT), Jerry Kraus
>>
yahoo.com> wrote:>
>>> On Sep 7, 10:51 am, John J wrote:
>>>> Wayne Throop wrote:
>>>>>>> Why isn't this noted in conventional histories of mathematics?
>
>>>>>> Gene
chewbacca.org>
>>>>>> Because it's not mathematics, it's philosophy.>
>>>>> Ah, but mathematics is the philosophy of measurement.
>
>>>> Very interesting observation. I know two very good professional
>>>> mathematicians, and each agrees that mathematics is immensely
>>>> useful to science, but in the grand picture it is always
>>>> susceptible to question.
>
>>> The nice thing about mathematicians is that they admire ideas.
>>> Unlike many scientists, who merely seek power.
>
>> As we can all see from the vast number of powerful and wealthy
>> scientists, the fact that Congress and the state legislatures are
>> dominated by scientists, the many, many scientists serving as
>> Governors, the frequent elections of scientist Presidents, etc.,
>> etc.
>
> You misunderstand what "power" mean in academia. Â What they want is
> total, maniacal control over curricula, tenure committees, teaching
> assignments, and parking spaces.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
No. Professional scientists want total control over ideas so that
they have absolute job security. There are no execeptions. At least
politicians accept the possibility that they can be fired.
