[Edu-sig] Brainstorming about GNU Math

[kirby urner]

> You insist - it seems to me (not directly in the quote above, but generally) -
> on making this a Fuller thing, and as such, something visionary, a bit rebelous,
> and certainly outside/beyond the  of thinking of  mainstream math educators.
>

Yeah, that's sort of my schtick.  I think it's important.  More than a
bit rebelous even.

> I have been able to demonstrate to you that a mathematician as mainstream as
> Felix Klein was pitching this exact point about spatial geometry- not abstractly in
> the laboratory but in seminars he conducted for pre-college math educators - at
> least 30 years before Fuller had a word to say on the subject.

I'm happy for you to stick to Klein as your avatar.  I have no problem
with that.  I'm sure we'll have other big names in common.  I've been
writing about Penrose quite a bit recently, in my blog.  Just because
I'm into Bucky doesn't mean I live in a vacuum, even named as I am.

> Different world views, you and I, I guess getting in the way.  Klein is much more
> "from the mountain top" then Fuller, in my world - especially when we are talking
> about geometric ideas.

I'm a philosophy major, entering the door of American Literature, and
feeling impressed.  I'm not really a mathematician wannabee.  In the
old trivium/quadrivium framework, that'd be a step down in rank.  I
have my career to think about.

> And since we are talking about working within the academy, I think it important we
> have our facts straight, in terms of attribution of ideas.

I'm very accomplished as an academic, cite my sources religiously.  In
my case, Fuller is often a source.  In your case, others, like Klein. 
There's nothing that needs fixing here.  And again, I'm sure we can
find overlap.  Britney Spears?  Dr. Evil?

> And from a pure *getting things accomplished* point of view, why present ideas
> in a way that makes them seem less mainstream, more tied to the insights of a
> Unique Genius, then they actually are, when one looks at the facts.
>

I'm a Fuller Schooler, that's my gig, including at last year's OSCON. 
But I'm not trying to recruit everyone I see, saying join me, join me.
 I'm more looking to form alliances, already having a full crew of
professionals aboard, arrrrgh.  Eye patch.  Parrot.

> Its just good math - in Kleins's presentation, at least.
>
> Art
>

Again, we can be ships passing in the night on this.  My venture into
the Bermuda Triangle of synergetic geometry is in the "don't try this
@ home" category i.e. it's not for everyone.  More like an Xtreme
sport [tm].  Fun though.

Kirby