It’s only Monday and I’m tired of politics, so here’s a video in remembrance of Benoît Mandelbrot, who died last week.
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by $8 blue check mistermix| 15 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
It’s only Monday and I’m tired of politics, so here’s a video in remembrance of Benoît Mandelbrot, who died last week.
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PurpleGirl
Thank you. That was cute.
(More than it’s Monday, it’s Monday morning and we’re mostly tired of politics and economics.)
J.W. Hamner
I’m going on record saying that fractals are the most abused concept in mathematics.
Ginger Yellow
I wonder what Coulton’s going to do with the song now that he’s not “still alive and teaching math at Yale.
cleek
@J.W. Hamner:
i dunno…. Margin of Error is in pretty tough shape these days.
stuckinred
Check out this walrus aerobics!
cathyx
Here’s another great video honoring Mandelbrot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj0SL58no-k
Poopyman
@cleek: “Lies, damned lies, and statistics”
Mandelbrot wrote something back in 2004 that proved to be prophetic, although I suspect he would say that it was mathematically obvious.
Meanderthal
Apparently, when the song was first written, Coulton was under the incorrect assumption that Mandelbrot was already dead, and then rewrote the song upon discovering otherwise. I guess he’ll have to go back to the original version now. Damn shame.
low-tech cyclist
From the link that @Poopyman provided:
“It is quite clear that some portfolios that were declared to be free of risk turned out not to be. They are very good for 90 percent or more of the time, but at the critical moment, they fail. They are just dreadful. Given the inter-connectedness of things, they may lead to very, very embarrassing complications for the whole world.”
Benoit Mandelbrot, 2004
BDeevDad
Speaking of science. Just heard Obama is going to be on MythBusters. He requested they redo the Archimedes myth.
Rabble Arouser
I know a small clique of hard-core math guys that have Mandelbrot sets tattooed on their forearms. RIP, Benoit Mandelbrot.
Cris
@BDeevDad: Oh, the solar ray. I thought maybe Obama was going to demonstrate that given a long enough lever and a place to stand, he could make the Republicans negotiate in good faith. Or however that goes.
Comrade Mary
A remembrance from someone who worked in Mandelbrot’s department.
JGabriel
That video was wonderful! Thanks for sharing it with us, mix.
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sherifffruitfly
Sad statement of Americans’ love of stupidity that the only way to present maths is via presentational devices better suited to 6 year olds.