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[Vector]

The reason why you want Respect is because, should you gain sufficient amounts of it, you are set for life.  Mathematicians care for their own.  It's a tight-knit community full of gentle (though admittedly extremely argumentative) people.

Kind of like how a Respected Archaeologist can drop some names to get into the sealed sections of Pompeii?

Sort of, except it's more like "You suddenly have close friends the world over who want to take care of you, will stay up with you until odd hours discussing your favorite subject, and understand all your nerdy math-jokes.  If you need to be picked up at an airport in a strange country or want somewhere to stay for a while, just find an interesting problem to share and collaborate on with a local mathematician."

Pal Erdos, for example, lived out of a suitcase and spent his entire life flying around the world living with a mathematician for a week or two at a time, then moving on to someone else's house when they refused to put up with him anymore.  He was batshit crazy and high on coffee/benzadrine/god knows what else at all times, but he certainly lived an interesting life.

[Jreengus]

I just tripped over my headphone wire tearing my headphones in half and smashing my mug.

Now I need another pair, my third in a years time.

[dragnar]

He was batshit crazy and high on coffee/benzadrine/god knows what else at all times, but he certainly lived an interesting life.

And in the end, what could be better than that? Apart from having an interesting life and not being crazy of course...

[Vector]

He was batshit crazy and high on coffee/benzadrine/god knows what else at all times, but he certainly lived an interesting life.

And in the end, what could be better than that? Apart from having an interesting life and not being crazy of course...

>_>

I do not aspire to become Erdos.  I will submit here, however, that when sanity/normalcy/what have you don't seem to be an option, mathematics is a rather comforting goal.

[Solifuge]

My father and sister and I are going to New York for the next two days. What are we doing there? Why am I expected to dress so well? How long will this really be? I have no idea. Just a week ago my dad said "Let's go to New York." So we are.

 ...

 What crap is he pulling off this time.

My limited experience with New York City was when I played at Carnegie Hall in '04. In my time there, I ran into a lot of places that called for Suit-And-Tie dress code, from delis to concert halls. He might just have something dressy prepared for you guys. Try to enjoy it... I personally found it fun to walk around New York in a pinstripe suit. Try to enjoy the big city, and avoid getting run down by the Taxis!

Sort of, except it's more like "You suddenly have close friends the world over who want to take care of you, will stay up with you until odd hours discussing your favorite subject, and understand all your nerdy math-jokes.  If you need to be picked up at an airport in a strange country or want somewhere to stay for a while, just find an interesting problem to share and collaborate on with a local mathematician."

Pal Erdos, for example, lived out of a suitcase and spent his entire life flying around the world living with a mathematician for a week or two at a time, then moving on to someone else's house when they refused to put up with him anymore.  He was batshit crazy and high on coffee/benzadrine/god knows what else at all times, but he certainly lived an interesting life.

So you're engrossing yourself in years of solitary study of a subject, which you need to master on your own with minimal guidance, and entering into one of the most individualistic, competative, and introverted fields imaginable... and you're doing this for social contact and comraderie.

I must applaud you on a most magnificent irony. :3

It's an interesting notion though... travelling and meeting with members of the Cult of Maths, competing, comparing, and collaborating. One of the big reasons I'm looking into Biological Fieldwork is so I can travel, and experience the world. Got a bit of oceanic censusing research lined up out in the Alieutian Islands/Alaska once I finally land my degree... but past that I'm still flailing for a single type of work to commit myself to.

P.S. Since I can scarce think of a better time to peddle this meme unto the web: Look Around You: Maths

[Dakk]

The cold I carelessy got yesterday is getting stronger, making my body feel really lame, and its almost time for college.

[JoshuaFH]

I feel the need to ask who "Algebra Guy" is.

[ToonyMan]

School anxiety.

[Aklyon]

Youtube has forced a "upgrade" (more like DOWNgrade) to the video watching page. Why do they insist on breaking everything that previously worked fine?

[ToonyMan]

Youtube has forced a "upgrade" (more like DOWNgrade) to the video watching page. Why do they insist on breaking everything that previously worked fine?

I really like the new page.

Infact one of my computers wouldn't display it so I had to activate it.  You can go back by pressing the OLD YOUTUBE button in the upright corner,

Spoiler: up right (click to show/hide)

[Realmfighter]

I like the new page two, and its not mandatory.

Basically, what Toony said.

[Aklyon]

Youtube has forced a "upgrade" (more like DOWNgrade) to the video watching page. Why do they insist on breaking everything that previously worked fine?

I really like the new page.

Infact one of my computers wouldn't display it so I had to activate it.  You can go back by pressing the OLD YOUTUBE button in the upright corner,

Spoiler: up right (click to show/hide)

I see no button. i've got more than one browser and still no button.
They'll delete the button soon anyway. Just like the new channel pages (which are simpler to watch stuff on now) that are now just THE channel pages.

[Itnetlolor]

Got a distraction here and there, but all that aside, I just got my computer running a hell of alot better (bit of housekeeping on the machine).

Looks like I'll be starting the (hopefully last) update tonight, or early tomorrow morning. One of the two.

Just as well, I woke up at noon today, and with work 2 hours after... yeah. Let's not repeat that tomorrow. Plus, considering it's April Fools Day tomorrow, I might as well start rigging now, and maybe get to bed early so I can beat everyone to their tricks and also get the final update done tomorrow.

[ein]

Japanese project that can't make up its mind between being a large map of an entire city with mountains/rivers/highways/etc. and only showing a small town with every single building labeled and street lights/bus stops/mail boxes/etc.

[Vector]

I feel the need to ask who "Algebra Guy" is.

So, I had a terrible time last semester, mostly thanks to Professor Poland being insane and not understanding that students need some time that is not mathematics-related (or that they take other math classes than his).  "But hey!"  I thought.  "It was an honors class in which I got a B, which is not all that bad.  I don't have to drop out of mathematics, but to avoid stress I'll take the course with some other guy."

Some other guy turned out to be Algebra Guy, who ... was a moron.  A postdoc, but a FLAMING MORON nonetheless.  Let's just say that he spent a good long time destroying the fundamentals of mathematics for the sake of "teachability," and then proceeded to teach us how to prove things inelegantly (seriously, if this guy has the benefit of lecture notes and I can prove on the fly better than he can, he can go eat himself.  If this was intentionally dumbing things down for the kiddies, then I repeat--he can go eat himself).

...

So I went off to Professor Poland's class and never looked back, except when I feel a particular need to despise someone.

So you're engrossing yourself in years of solitary study of a subject, which you need to master on your own with minimal guidance, and entering into one of the most individualistic, competative, and introverted fields imaginable... and you're doing this for social contact and comraderie.

I must applaud you on a most magnificent irony. :3

It's an interesting notion though... travelling and meeting with members of the Cult of Maths, competing, comparing, and collaborating. One of the big reasons I'm looking into Biological Fieldwork is so I can travel, and experience the world. Got a bit of oceanic censusing research lined up out in the Alieutian Islands/Alaska once I finally land my degree... but past that I'm still flailing for a single type of work to commit myself to.

P.S. Since I can scarce think of a better time to peddle this meme unto the web: Look Around You: Maths

Heh, well... funny that you mention the Cult of Mathematics, given that one of my professors has been talking about how we're now members of the Pythagoreans and, since we're not idiota (doesn't mean stupid people--just those who don't know much math), we have different moral responsibilities and need to conduct ourselves better.

As far as Look Around You goes, I'd seen it but it'd been a really, really long time.  Thanks for the reminder!