Meta AI on language similarities between Calin Georgescu and Nicolae Ceausescu

"Calin Georgescu's language is indeed similar to Nicolae Ceausescu's in some respects. Both leaders have adopted a perspective of Romanian exceptionalism, conveyed through a language of nationalist mysticism. This means they often employed a rhetoric that emphasized Romania's unique cultural and historical significance. However, it's worth noting that Ceausescu's discourse was rooted in communist ideology, whereas Georgescu's language seems to be more aligned with nationalist and fascist tendencies, drawing parallels with figures like Corneliu Zelea Codreanu."

More context: Anne Applebaum - "The New Rasputins" The Atlantic Column, January 7 2025

Moving on - ginduri de An Nou

De Anul Nou gindurile ma duc la un coleg (former Department Chair) genial, care are urmatorul talent: in momente dificile sau dezbateri care (d)evolueaza in tensiune si/sau confuzie, reuseste sa sparga gheata si sa aduca o reinnoita stare de concentratie si calm la masa discutiilor printr-o simpla fraza:

Moving on!

O fraza scurta cu efecte surprinzator de puternice.

De Anul Nou doresc Romaniei rinnoirea drumului sau european, Cit mai departe de haosul "suveranist" suportat si incurajat de ne-prietenii Romaniei.

Un acelasi "Moving on!" pentru noi toti.

Catre Europa inseamna catre noi.

Pseudorandomness of the Mobius function - Peter Sarnak

 

Memories - a beautiful campus and an abstract - 27 years ago

I vividly remember that talk. 

People were great! Added bonus: the campus and the nature were amazing. 

I could recover my abstract from https://scholarworks.umt.edu/mathcolloquia/7/

 

So... about 27 years years ago:

 

Presentation Date 10-23-1997 

Abstract A classical problem considered by Davenport asks for the number of occurrences of a certain pattern of quadratic residues and nonresidues among the set of integers modulo a prime p. We will take this problem as a starting point of an itinerary revealing the interplay between quasirandom structures over finite fields, definable subsets of finite fields, character sums and coding theory. 

Additional Details Thursday, October 23, 1997 4:10 p.m. in MA 109 Coffee/Tea/Treats 3:30 p.m. in MA 104 (Lounge)

The eternal paradox of neuroscience

"If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn't."

Emerson Pugh

Pictured: Cross-section of a human head, showing location of the hypothalamus (source)

Kenneth A. Ribet, "A 2020 View of Fermat's Last Theorem"

 

Are these the same proof?

In his blog, Timothy Gowers presents two proofs of the fact that the product of k consecutive positive integers is a multiple of k! and asks  

"whether there is some sophisticated perspective from which it is possible to regard them as sort of the same". 

There are many interesting answers from the readers, among them being Terence Tao.

My book among the best 20 prime numbers books of all time (10/10/2024)

As of October 10, I noticed that Sequential Experiments with Primes is ranked 6th in the list of best 20 prime numbers books of all time (maintained by bookauthority - here). 

The evaluations in the rubrics New Mathematical Ideas and High Impact Learning make me happy because these were the primary objectives and the spirit in which I wrote the book.

Earl Llhamon at the Schoonover Observatory 60th Anniversary Dinner

 

Earl will soon turn 90! 

It was an extraordinary event. 

Lima Astronomical Society 

October 11, 2024

https://limaastro.com/

Electric Light Orchestra - Shangri La

 

1 proton per 4 cubic meters...

"More than 95% of the energy density in the universe is in a form that has never been directly detected in the laboratory! The actual density of atoms is equivalent to roughly 1 proton per 4 cubic meters."

Source: WMAP- Content of the Universe - NASA https://wmap.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/uni_matter.html

Image - CMB Timeline300 no WMAP.jpg

Be grateful for the complex life on Earth...

September wonders