11 OCT 2013 by ideonexus
The Meaning of "We" in Science and Mathematical Texts
I request a last indulgence from the reader. The introductory material,
thus far, has been written in the friendly and confiding first person
singular voice. Starting in the next paragraph, I will inhabit the first
person plural for the duration of the mathematical expositions. This
should not be construed as a “royal we.” It has been a construct of the
community of mathematicians for centuries and it traditionally signifies
two ideas: that “we” are all in consultation with each other..."We" refers to the collaborative effort of problem solving.
20 JUN 2012 by ideonexus
Max Plank's Inspiration to Go Into Science
My original decision to devote myself to science was a direct result of the discovery which has never ceased to fill me with enthusiasm since my early youth—the comprehension of the far from obvious fact that the laws of human reasoning coincide with the laws governing the sequences of the impressions we receive from the world about us; that, therefore, pure reasoning can enable man to gain an insight into the mechanism of the latter. In this connection, it is of paramount importance that t...The realization that the world can be understood rationally.