Opportunity Knocks
Feb. 2nd, 2012 01:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoutfellowA day or two ago, one of the professors in the Philosophy Department contacted our chairman about an interdisciplinary project (seeking an internal grant) on fundamental mathematical concepts. It wound up forwarded to me.
I spent quite a while thinking about this. I'm not even close to being an expert on the history and philosophy of mathematics. (I suppose I'm the nearest facsimile to one in our department....) But: a) it might be interesting; b) it'll look good on next year's Activity Report, especially if we get a grant out of it; c) I need things that shake me out of my periodic ruts. (Starting the geometry seminar with T and W has done wonders for my research, to name one example.) So I've decided to go for it. The philosophy professor has notified me that he'll start exploring the grant possibilities, and he'll get back to me.
Frankly, I'm kind of nervous about this, but I think it'll be good for me. (There's an anthropological story - probably apocryphal - to the effect that many Siberian shamans, on being pressed by someone they trust, will admit that they think they themselves are frauds, but the rest of the shamans are the real deal. That story comes to my mind from time to time.)
I spent quite a while thinking about this. I'm not even close to being an expert on the history and philosophy of mathematics. (I suppose I'm the nearest facsimile to one in our department....) But: a) it might be interesting; b) it'll look good on next year's Activity Report, especially if we get a grant out of it; c) I need things that shake me out of my periodic ruts. (Starting the geometry seminar with T and W has done wonders for my research, to name one example.) So I've decided to go for it. The philosophy professor has notified me that he'll start exploring the grant possibilities, and he'll get back to me.
Frankly, I'm kind of nervous about this, but I think it'll be good for me. (There's an anthropological story - probably apocryphal - to the effect that many Siberian shamans, on being pressed by someone they trust, will admit that they think they themselves are frauds, but the rest of the shamans are the real deal. That story comes to my mind from time to time.)
no subject
Date: 2012-02-03 03:45 am (UTC)