Mathematicians Of The Day

5th December



On this day in 1947 Kurt Gödel had his examination to become a United States citizen. Being the diligent individual that he was, he studied the constitution carefully beforehand and felt that he had found a contradiction. On the way to the hearing Einstein and Oskar Morgenstern tried to keep his mind on other issues, but when the judge called them into his chambers (so that he could meet Einstein) he asked Gödel if he had anything to say. It was only with considerable effort that his friends were able to change the subject when Gödel brought up the contradiction.
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Quotation of the day

From Werner Heisenberg
Qunntum theory provides us with a striking illustration of the fact that we can fully understand a connection though we can only speak of it in images and parables.
Physics and Beyond (New York 1971)