The Universe and the Teacup Quotes

“Math. . . . [is] akin to poetry: a way of taking a big idea and condensing and honing it until it communicates exactly the right information.”
― K.C. Cole, The Universe and the Teacup: The Mathematics of Truth and Beauty

“Measurement, it’s probably fair to say, is the cornerstone of knowledge.”
― K.C. Cole, The Universe And The Teacup: The Mathematics of Truth and Beauty

“That explains in part why we go to great expense to rescue children who fall down mine shafts, but not children dying from preventable diseases. Economists call this the “rule of rescue.” If you know that someone is in danger and you know that you can help, you have a moral obligation to do so. If you don’t know about it, however, you have no obligation. Columnist Roger Simon speculates that’s one reason the National Rifle Association lobbied successfully to eliminate the program at the Centers for Disease Control that keeps track of gun deaths. If we don’t have to face what’s happening, we won’t feel obligated to do anything about it.”
― K.C. Cole, The Universe and the Teacup: The Mathematics of Truth and Beauty