tea.mathoverflow.net - Discussion Feed (Influence of drugs in mathematics) 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/ Lussumo Vanilla & Feed Publisher Scott Morrison comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16714) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16714#Comment_16714 2011-10-26T20:28:31-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Scott Morrison http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/3/ Closing now. Closing now.

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Yemon Choi comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16713) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16713#Comment_16713 2011-10-26T20:13:39-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Yemon Choi http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/81/ Still not appropriate - this is now just prurient. Why not start a blog and ask there, if the question holds that much interest for you? I wonder if professional mathematician uses recreational ... Still not appropriate - this is now just prurient. Why not start a blog and ask there, if the question holds that much interest for you?

I wonder if professional mathematician uses recreational drugs in their work for muse

Yes: in many cases, caffeine. Voting to close (+1 gilkalai and Noah Snyder)

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Zeeshan Mahmud comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16712) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16712#Comment_16712 2011-10-26T19:10:46-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Zeeshan Mahmud http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/651/ Due to the sheer negative reception of this thread, I have edited the Original Post as appropriate. Noah Snyder comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16711) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16711#Comment_16711 2011-10-26T18:53:22-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Noah Snyder http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/59/ +1 gilkalai. Vote to close this thread. +1 gilkalai. Vote to close this thread.

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gilkalai comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16710) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16710#Comment_16710 2011-10-26T17:46:09-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 gilkalai http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/49/ I agree with everybody here that this question is not appropriate for MO. I dont understand why several people think that discussing the question itself, namely discussing on meta mathematicians(also ... quid comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16709) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16709#Comment_16709 2011-10-26T17:20:19-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 quid http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/583/ In view of Ryan's response to Steven I just would like to mention that neither would I be in favor of having an MO question on mathematicians eating a balanced diet, mathematicians being in good ... In view of Ryan's response to Steven I just would like to mention that neither would I be in favor of having an MO question on mathematicians eating a balanced diet, mathematicians being in good physical health, mathematicians getting regular exercise.

And, somthing else: there are statements to the extent, I could not produce a reference but I am certain to have read or seen this, that Erdős was not so happy regarding the popularization of this matter, mainly on the grounds that he was worried to set a bad example.

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Ryan Budney comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16708) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16708#Comment_16708 2011-10-26T15:38:17-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Ryan Budney http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/107/ @Zeeshan: regarding the movie "Limitless," I suspect the reason they didn't investigate any interesting ideas is because that movie was marketed to 14-year-old moronic thugs. That was one ... @Zeeshan: regarding the movie "Limitless," I suspect the reason they didn't investigate any interesting ideas is because that movie was marketed to 14-year-old moronic thugs. That was one of the worst movies I've ever seen -- and I've seen a lot of really bad movies!

Regarding openness, I think a lot of researchers are pretty open about these types of things. That does not mean this topic is appropriate for MO -- I think perhaps you have the wrong idea of what this forum is about. There's a big difference between relaying a personal anecdote to a friend (or having it in your personal biography) compared with putting it up on an internet forum which Google encourages everyone on the planet to read. Also, this topic strays way too far over the gossip vs. mathematics content line.

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Will Jagy comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16707) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16707#Comment_16707 2011-10-26T14:40:47-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Will Jagy http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/208/ Ryan, on brain-eating for inspiration, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Holdstock and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythago_Wood Zeeshan Mahmud comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16706) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16706#Comment_16706 2011-10-26T14:23:46-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Zeeshan Mahmud http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/651/ Finally I humbly leave you with Gregory Chaitin's comment @3:12 onwardshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQKXgYfBxtU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQKXgYfBxtU]]>
Zeeshan Mahmud comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16705) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16705#Comment_16705 2011-10-26T14:16:10-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Zeeshan Mahmud http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/651/ @Todd Yes, I was going to mention the link in my original post but I was too high (reading Zermelo's 1894 dissertation "Untersuchungen zur Variationsrechnung" of course) that I ...
I am curious as to if there is such a social stigma for drugs in academia how could be Tarski and Erdos too be so open about it back in the days. And as a whimsical side note, anyone else got bummed seeing the trailer of the movie Limitless and lamenting why would the protagonist NOT solve P-NP after consuming the 'magic pill' but would rather be super-rich finding algorithm in stock market analysis?]]>
Ryan Budney comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16704) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16704#Comment_16704 2011-10-26T13:52:23-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Ryan Budney http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/107/ @Steven: sure, but eating a balanced diet, being in good physical health, getting regular exercise, these are all far less controversial things that help one do mathematics. Killing other ... @Steven: sure, but eating a balanced diet, being in good physical health, getting regular exercise, these are all far less controversial things that help one do mathematics. Killing other mathematicians and eating their brains might be another way to get mathematical inspiration. It's not clear that latter topic or the drugs topic really deserves an MO thread.

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Yemon Choi comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16703) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16703#Comment_16703 2011-10-26T13:25:38-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Yemon Choi http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/81/ I suspect the influence is far less than individual anecdotes might suggest. ("For want of a nail, the battle was lost" -- actually, to be fair, the Stanley brothers switching sides ... I suspect the influence is far less than individual anecdotes might suggest. ("For want of a nail, the battle was lost" -- actually, to be fair, the Stanley brothers switching sides probably had a greater effect.) It may even be comparable to the effect of fruit on mathematics, i.e. limited to a few fun stories.

The problem here seems to be an absence of a "control" for this thought experiment...

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Todd Trimble comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16702) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16702#Comment_16702 2011-10-26T13:20:07-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Todd Trimble http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/411/ So, it seems you've answered your own question, Zeeshan. :-) Although I still think it should not be an MO question, I actually find the question interesting. I have strong reason to believe that ... So, it seems you've answered your own question, Zeeshan. :-)

Although I still think it should not be an MO question, I actually find the question interesting. I have strong reason to believe that one of my undergraduate professors took cocaine specifically to enhance his mathematical thinking, although I would not dare name him. Numerous mathematicians have indulged in marijuana and LSD, but again, I wouldn't dare name anyone who had not gone public about that fact.

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Zeeshan Mahmud comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16701) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16701#Comment_16701 2011-10-26T13:05:06-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Zeeshan Mahmud http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/651/ @Steven It was chaos theory that got affected from acid trips if you consider Ralph Abraham's candid telling in the following linkhttp://www.maps.org/news-letters/v18n1/v18n1-MAPS_8-10.pdfEdit: As an ...
http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v18n1/v18n1-MAPS_8-10.pdf

Edit: As an aside, perhaps Prof. Abraham should be let known about the unintended innuendo of "Trip reports" in his webpage. :)]]>
Steven Gubkin comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16700) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16700#Comment_16700 2011-10-26T12:12:46-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Steven Gubkin http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/63/ @Ryan, the difference is that there may be some subset of mathematicians who claim that drug use enhances their ability to do mathematics - I definitely have friends who claim this effect from ...
I am not sure about the validity of this question as a MO question mostly because I can see potential for people getting "in trouble" by voicing their true opinions on this matter. It seems a little too controversial for MO, but I think it would fit with the site in a more open society.]]>
Asaf Karagila comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16699) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16699#Comment_16699 2011-10-26T11:44:25-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Asaf Karagila http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/600/ @Ryan: Seeing how you put it, we all abuse oxygen... :-) @Ryan: Seeing how you put it, we all abuse oxygen... :-)

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Ryan Budney comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16698) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16698#Comment_16698 2011-10-26T10:35:58-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Ryan Budney http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/107/ @Asaf, "substance abuse" doesn't imply the substance is illegal. You can go overboard drinking coffee or taking aspirin -- the most likely result of the abuse would be a stomache ... @Asaf, "substance abuse" doesn't imply the substance is illegal. You can go overboard drinking coffee or taking aspirin -- the most likely result of the abuse would be a stomache ulcer.

IMO the question just isn't a good question for MO. All kinds of people abuse drugs, and mathematicians are not special in this regard. You could similarly ask which mathematicians have speeding tickets, or who've gone through multiple divorces, or which mathematicans suffered abnormally from acne as teenagers... These just aren't relevant questions.

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Asaf Karagila comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16697) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16697#Comment_16697 2011-10-26T10:12:07-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Asaf Karagila http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/600/ In Pi there was no substance abuse. He suffered from migraines, while it is true he used copious amounts of medicine somewhats, it is not even closed to hinted that there was anything illegal about ... In Pi there was no substance abuse. He suffered from migraines, while it is true he used copious amounts of medicine somewhats, it is not even closed to hinted that there was anything illegal about it.

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quid comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16696) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16696#Comment_16696 2011-10-26T10:12:03-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 quid http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/583/ @geraldedgar: Could you elaborate where exactly you read this in that book. I just searched for 'smoking' in it, and the only thing I found by doing so is in my opinion not really, to put it mildly, ... @geraldedgar: Could you elaborate where exactly you read this in that book. I just searched for 'smoking' in it, and the only thing I found by doing so is in my opinion not really, to put it mildly, in line with what you claim Littlewood is saying. [He is describing a 'fatuous experiment' that included to give-up smoking, and it was quickly abandoned.] So, at least this paragraph to me rather suggest the opposite (for him, individually).

p.s. I do not wish to promote smoking. The sole goal is to have correct attributions of opinions.

p.p.s. I agree that this subject is unsuitable for MO.

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geraldedgar comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16695) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16695#Comment_16695 2011-10-26T05:50:38-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 geraldedgar http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/116/ (Since it seems this will not become an actual question I put this here...) We can read in Littlewood's Miscellany the paragraph he wrote about how smoking is detrimental for doing mathematics. (Since it seems this will not become an actual question I put this here...) We can read in Littlewood's Miscellany the paragraph he wrote about how smoking is detrimental for doing mathematics.

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Zeeshan Mahmud comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16694) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16694#Comment_16694 2011-10-25T18:42:05-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Zeeshan Mahmud http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/651/ Thank you all. I got the point. Todd Trimble comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16693) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16693#Comment_16693 2011-10-25T18:07:27-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Todd Trimble http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/411/ Ditto. Definitely not acceptable (and libelous if it comes from anyone but the user). Ditto. Definitely not acceptable (and libelous if it comes from anyone but the user).

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Mariano comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16692) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16692#Comment_16692 2011-10-25T17:27:51-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Mariano http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/61/ +1 Will +1 Will

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José Figueroa comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16691) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16691#Comment_16691 2011-10-25T17:11:19-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 José Figueroa http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/68/ +1 Will Jagy. +1 Will Jagy.

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Will Jagy comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16690) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16690#Comment_16690 2011-10-25T16:59:19-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Will Jagy http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/208/ This is not an acceptable question. Zeeshan Mahmud comments on "Influence of drugs in mathematics" (16689) http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/discussion/1185/influence-of-drugs-in-mathematics/?Focus=16689#Comment_16689 2011-10-25T16:55:57-07:00 2018-11-04T20:56:07-08:00 Zeeshan Mahmud http://mathoverflow.tqft.net/account/651/ Well known is the (ab)use of speed by Erdos and Tarski. In the movie Pi we also saw protagonist's substance abuse. I wonder if professional mathematician uses recreational drugs in their work for ...
Thus my question:

Are their any reputable (more specifically contemporary) mathematicians with history of drug use/abuse?]]>