Aiming for the Moon

118. Utility > Beauty - The Lost Wonder of Mathematics: Dr. Satyan Devadoss (Mathematician and Author of “Mage Merlin’s Unsolved Math Mysteries”)


Listen Later

Send us a text

University of San Diego Fletcher Jones professor of applied mathematics, Dr. Satyan Devadoss, questions whether mathematics should be learned merely for the sake of utility and efficiency. Throughout high school, we are taught mathematics because it is useful in STEM fields. It is for the sake of new technologies that you learn about percentages, Pythagoras, and polynomials. But perhaps, by turning math into merely a science, we have missed its poetry.  As Dr. Devadoss discusses in his book, Mage Merlin’s Unsolved Math Mysteries, the beauty of mathematics is not its technological use, but its ability to expand our imaginations and discover the world beyond the limits of the material. 

Topics:

  • Modern Math Education - Skill over Discovery
  • The Loss of Wonder in Modern Math Education
  • Joy in Solving Unsolved Math Problems
  • Rediscovering the Beauty of Mathematics
  • How STEM studies Became Separated from the Humanities and why it matters
  • Exploring Education and Interconnectiveness
  • Complexity and Value of Different Disciplines
  • The Value of Analog vs Digital - "Learning to be Human again"
  • "What books have had an impact on you?"
  • "What advice do you have for teenagers?"


Bio:
Dr. Satyan Devadoss
is the Fletcher Jones professor of applied mathematics at the University of San Diego.  Before this, he was professor at Williams for nearly 15 years, and has held visiting positions at Ohio State, Harvey Mudd, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, and Stanford.  He is a fellow of the American Mathematical Society, and recipient of two national teaching awards, with his thoughts appearing in venues such as NPR, the Times of London, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. His most recent book is Mage Merlin’s Unsolved Math Mysteries (MIT/Penguin), and his other adventures can be explored here: https://satyandevadoss.org/


Socials! -

Lessons from Interesting People substack: https://taylorbledsoe.substack.com/

Website: https://www.aimingforthemoon.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiming4moon/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aiming4Moon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aiming4moon

Taylor's Blog: https://www.taylorgbledsoe.com/

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Aiming for the MoonBy Aiming for the Moon

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

64 ratings


More shows like Aiming for the Moon

View all
All In The Mind by ABC listen

All In The Mind

756 Listeners

EconTalk by Russ Roberts

EconTalk

4,234 Listeners

The Art of Manliness by The Art of Manliness

The Art of Manliness

14,256 Listeners

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life by Tim Keller

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

15,727 Listeners

The One You Feed by Eric Zimmer

The One You Feed

2,501 Listeners

We Study Billionaires - The Investor’s Podcast Network by The Investor's Podcast Network

We Study Billionaires - The Investor’s Podcast Network

3,369 Listeners

The Ben Shapiro Show by The Daily Wire

The Ben Shapiro Show

153,960 Listeners

The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

10,700 Listeners

Something You Should Know by Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media

Something You Should Know

4,171 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,917 Listeners

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett by DOAC

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

7,165 Listeners

Modern Wisdom by Chris Williamson

Modern Wisdom

3,815 Listeners

The Peter Attia Drive by Peter Attia, MD

The Peter Attia Drive

7,953 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,335 Listeners

A Slight Change of Plans by Pushkin Industries

A Slight Change of Plans

2,066 Listeners