Subject: Re: [HM] The Good Will Hunting principle
From: David Crabtree (dcrabtre@drury.edu)
Date: Sun Jun 25 2000 - 02:23:48 EDT
Having not seen the movie in reference, I cannot in good conscience
comment upon its depiction of mathematics, yet I recently witnessed
the movie "PI" and was particularly struck by a similar depiction of
the rigours of mathematics. Not only were the main character's
studies hackneyed and cliche, they were mainly presented merely as the
progenitor of his psychosis. His profound "insight" was seeming
wretched from thin air and was apparently so esoteric it could not be
disclosed. I'm digressing though, my point was intended to be that
the media apparently enjoys romantacizing and mythologizing serious
academic studies. Hell, if this trend persists, the rest of the world
may come to perceive us as pedantic elitists and we cannot allow our
cover to be broken!
David Crabtree
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