From TheBestLinks.com
Martin Gardner (born October 21, 1914) is an American recreational mathematician and author of the long-running but now discontinued 'Mathematical Games' column in Scientific American.
Interests and writings
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Martin Gardner more or less singlehandedly sustained and nurtured interest in recreational mathematics for a large part of the 20th century. He is best known for his decades-long efforts in popular mathematics and science journalism. His interests are wide, ranging from science and philosophy to magic and the skeptical movement associated with James Randi. He lives in Norman, Oklahoma.
Occasional conferences of people sharing his interests, known as the Gatherings for Gardner, are held in his honour. The first was held in 1993.
In his Mathematical Games column in Scientific American, he introduced many subjects to a wider audience, including:
He is the author or editor of more than 100 books and booklets, including books on mathematics, science, pseudoscience, philosophy, literary criticism, and fiction (including Visitors from Oz, based on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz).
In addition to his expository writing about mathematics, Gardner has been an avid controversialist on contemporary issues, arguing for his points of view in a wide range of fields. Though particularly well known for his critique of beliefs that he regards as pseudoscientific, Gardner has also taken sides on political, economic, historical, and philosophical controversies. His philosophical views, for example, are described and defended in his book The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener.
Religious belief has been a subject of abiding interest for Gardner. For example, he has written repeatedly about what public figures such as Robert Maynard Hutchins, Mortimer Adler, and William F. Buckley, Jr. believed and whether their beliefs were logically consistent. In some cases, he has attacked prominent religious figures such as Mary Baker Eddy for making claims he considers unsupportable. His semiautobiograpical novel The Flight of Peter Fromm depicts a traditionally Protestant Christian man struggling with his faith, examining 20th century scholarship and intellectual movements, and ultimately rejecting Christianity while remaining a theist. Gardner characterizes his own belief as philosophical theism and describes it as inspired by the theology of the philosopher Miguel de Unamuno; while critical of organized religions, Gardner says he chooses to believe in God, in the knowledge that his belief could not be confirmed or disconfirmed by reason. At the same time, Gardner is skeptical of claims that God has communicated with human beings through spoken, or telepathic, revelation or performed supernatural miracles in the natural world.
Gardner says there is nothing supernatural. He rejects the view that anything in human reason or visible in the world should compel people to adopt a belief in God. The mystery of existence Gardner finds enchanting; but a belief in The Old One comes from a leap of faith, a leap without evidence. Gardner thinks through faith and prayer people can find greater happiness than without. He has stated that if there is an afterlife the loving Old One is real.
Gardner has genuine curiosity and a passion for many obscure things. He is kind and understands and encourages those who share his passions. (Genuine curiosity that questions any current thought is misunderstood, and looked on with suspicion and horror, by minds closed by boundaries and movements). Gardner is respected by both the magic and scientific communities. His book, Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science, has become a classic work. Gardner is deeply admired by his students and James Randi. One student has stated, "Martin is the world's greatest magician".
There is an asteroid named in honor of Martin Gardner (2587) Gardner.
Gardner has sometimes used pseudonyms, including "Uriah Fuller" (a parody of Uri Geller, whom Gardner considers a fraud) and "Armand T. Ringer". Under the name Uriah Fuller he wrote two privately printed booklets explaining how so-called psychics do their "seemingly impossible paranormal feats." These are Confessions of a Psychic and Further Confessions of a Psychic.
Selected works
Books
Collections of SciAm columns
- Hexaflexagons and Other Mathematical Diversions: The First Scientific American Book of Puzzles and Games (1959,1988; University of Chicago Press ISBN 0226282546)
- Mathematical Puzzles and Diversions (1959; Pelican, UK ISBN 0140207139)
- More Mathematical Puzzles and Diversions (1961; Pelican, UK ISBN 0140207481)
- Martin Gardner's New Mathematical Diversions from Scientific American (1966; Simon and Schuster)
- Further Mathematical Diversions (1969; Pelican, UK ISBN 014021996X)
- Mathematical Carnival (1975; Pelican, UK ISBN 0140220410)
- Mathematical Circus (1979; Pelican, UK ISBN 014022355X)
- Wheels, Life, and Other Mathematical Amusements(1983; W. H. Freeman & Co. ISBN 0-7167-1589-9)
- Knotted Doughnuts and Other Mathematical Entertainments (1986; W. H. Freeman & Co. ISBN 0-7167-1799-9)
- Time Travel and Other Mathematical Bewilderments (1988; W. H. Freeman & Co. ISBN 0-7167-1925-8)
- Penrose Tiles to Trapdoor Ciphers (1989; W. H. Freeman & Co. ISBN 0-7167-1987-8)
- Last Recreations: Hydras, Eggs, and other Mathematical Mystifications (1997; Springer Verlag, ISBN 0-387-94929-1)
- many others... please add them here...
See also
External links
de:Martin Gardner
fr:Martin Gardner
ko:마틴 가드너
ja:γγΌγγ£γ³γ»γ¬γΌγγγΌ
Related links
Top visited
0 of
0 links
[no links posted yet]
>> place link >>
Discussion
Last posted
0 of
0 messages
[no messages posted yet]
>> post message >>
Watch
You can
add this article to your own "watchlist" and receive e-mail notification about all changes in this page.
