In this indiscreet thought
"We will dwell upon the one topic of unquestioned interest
and timeliness among mathematicians: gossip. Or rather, to
use an acceptable euphemism, we will deal with the _history_
of mathematics."
is Rota actually using "an acceptable euphemism"?
Maybe not! But I, for one, would not gather from this quotation that
Gian-Carlo Rota was one of those mathematicians that treat(ed) history
with contempt.
It was a shock to hear of Rota's death this April. We kept in touch off
and on for some time, and exchanged mails (mainly in Spanish) about
history and philosophy of mathematics. My understanding is that he had
an unusual high opinion (and knowledge!) of both subjects. Incidentally,
Gian-Carlo contributed with some juicy articles to our [HM] forum, which
you should find in the archives.
Julio Gonzalez Cabillon