|
Missing Mathematicians
It's not much of a challenge taking a census of mathematicians I have known. At the beginning of 2025 there were three, by the end of that year only one remained.
Claudio Maccone (06 February 1948 - 20 August 2025)
Claudio lived in Torino, Italy. He was a Doctor of Mathematics. I'd like to think that he was somehow responsible for the giant Infinity although it's more likely that the Tourist Bureau sponsored it. I'm unlikely ever to know for sure.
I would write more about Claudio but it turns out that I already have. It seems that, despite his own personal gravitational field being conventional, he has his own moon. Practicing as I do conservation of text, I recommend reading my blogitem from 2006 for an explanation and more info on Claudio. Here's an update.
He may have saved our planet from an asteroid strike. The pictures here were taken when Claudio stopped over in Sedona on the way to a conference on planetary defense in Flagstaff, an hour drive from here. He exhibited touristic tendencies and so we took the 25-mile trip to the Montezuma Castle National Monument. We had a lovely day, and my wife conceded that he was "charming and warm. And smart.*"
|
 |
 |
I originally came to know him through his interest in and research about SETI. He was a tireless proselytizer and conference goer and mainstay of The SETI League. He passed through New York City often on his travels to the United States. (Ever thrifty, he would stay at the apartment of Heather Wood—the SETI League secretary—who was often traveling). He would come out to New Jersey to League headquarters to visit, discuss, and dine. On the short walk to the diner he would update us on his research and on some remarkable theories.
Again I commend to you the blogitem mentioned earlier.
Claudio had degrees and honors and professorships. He was Chair of the International Academy of Astronautics SETI Permanent Committee and won the prestigious Giordano Bruno Award.
Unsurprisingly, he got along well with Winston the Puppy.
We had the opportunity to visit him in Turin, which the Italians suspiciously call Torino to confuse the tourists. Of course we talked SETI and he gave me a download of his new book Mathematical SETI, which he made me promise to review. You'll look in vain for that review; I did understand most of the words—they were in English—but that didn't help me with the math. I was also honored when he included a chapter I wrote about gravitational lensing in one of his other books!
Unlike Tom Lehrer who died at 97, The System worked overtime for Claudio. Heart attack at age 77. Much of his important work was ahead of him, and if an asteroid does destroy earthly civilization, it may be because Claudio's work remained unfinished. |
Tom Lehrer (09 April 1928 - 26 July 2025)
I write this sad item for what I think is called "closure." In 2018 I wrote a blogitem about Tom Lehrer on the occasion of his 90th birthday, and in an update, which even my thousands of devoted millireaders are unlikely to have read, I noted his demise. Lehrer is largely responsible for my life-rank of "three-pen nerd" as detailed here. His music and life story (with significant lacunae, I believe) is all over the internet. Although I met him very briefly long, long ago, we never had a significant personal interaction, and I have no anecdotes to share beyond the above links.
I can't even blame The System, which was busy elsewhere. But Tom Lehrer had a major effect on my life** and I wanted to write (yet again) a few words about him.
* I'm sure this is accurate. My research involved a hike to the living room.
** And unlike Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, who deserves the credit and the blame, I'm not sure which Tom would in this case have preferred.
|
|
