I believe in new ideas, in progress. It’s faith. I’ve recently been thinking about faith. If you’re a religious person, which I’m not, you believe God created the universe. That’s why it works, and you’re trying to understand God’s works. There are many scientists who work in that framework. Scientists, outside of religion, have their own faith. They believe the universe is rational. They’re trying to find the laws of nature. But why are there laws? That’s the article of faith for scientists. It’s not rational. It’s useful. It’s practical. There’s evidence in its favor: The sun does rise every day. But nevertheless, at the end of the day, it’s an article of faith.
[From his obituary in The New York Times: Michael Atiyah, Mathematician in Newton’s Footsteps, Dies at 89]
RIP
Some readings:
- Obituary in the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS): Sir Michael Atiyah, Celebrated Mathematician, Dies at 89
- 2016 interview (Quanta Magazine): Michael Atiyah’s Imaginative State of Mind
- Discussion about heuristic ideas in mathematics (h/t TRF): Responses To “Theoretical Mathematics: Toward A Cultural Synthesis Of Mathematics And
Theoretical Physics”, By A. Jaffe And F. Quinn (arXiv, PDF)
