Wiener's Advice

WaaghBakri · January 16th, 2003, 9:54 pm

QuoteOne of the chief duties of the mathematician in acting as an adviser to scientists is to discourage them from expecting too much from mathematics. Hmmm.....I wonder what he would have said to the present day quant ....Norbert Wiener

WaaghBakri · January 17th, 2003, 3:53 am

On how absent-minded Wiener was ....QuoteHe saw a young child and asked her, "Little girl, can you tell me where the Wieners moved?" "Yes, Daddy," came the reply, "Mommy said you'd probably be here, so she sent me to show you the way home".From the website

Marsden · January 17th, 2003, 6:43 pm

QuoteHmmm.....I wonder what he would have said to the present day quant ....My father tells that he met Weiner on the latter's regular morning stroll during a math conference, and was treated to a long discourse about how corporations were ruining academia by gobbling up all the clever people and limiting their interaction.

WaaghBakri · January 17th, 2003, 9:18 pm

I could have sworn that Wiener was spelt Weiner, as you did, and I actually wrote it so when I started the post. I paused yet again on the doubt, and went back to the website to find it spelt "Wiener." I've always tripped on his spelling!!! Which one is right?!!He must have been quite a personality. The "absent-minded prof." episodes don't surprise me. We've met people who can't shake out easily when in deep thought on some issue ..... makes you wonder though whether he was "perpetually" in such a state of mind ....

Marsden · January 17th, 2003, 10:06 pm

Probably "Wiener," now that you mention it. German generally pronounces the second of a vowel couplet. Wonder how often I've Anglicized it in the past...