I once took a course on the history of mathematics -- it was quite interesting, but would have been better if one of our texts was Logicomix, a cool, new graphic novel exploring the quest for mathematical certainty. Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth, by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos Papadimitriou, was a best seller in Greece and is now out in English. It's a fun and informative way to address important concepts about logic and argumentation.
The amazon.com review says: "This exceptional graphic novel recounts the spiritual odyssey of philosopher Bertrand Russell. In his agonized search for absolute truth, Russell crosses paths with legendary thinkers like Gottlob Frege, David Hilbert, and Kurt Gödel, and finds a passionate student in the great Ludwig Wittgenstein. But his most ambitious goal -- to establish unshakable logical foundations of mathematics -- continues to loom before him."
The New York Times Book Review ran a really nice review of Logicomix last Sunday: "Improbable material for comic-book treatment? Not really. The principals in this intellectual drama are superheroes of a sort. They go up against a powerful nemesis, who might be called Dark Antinomy. Each is haunted by an inner demon, the Specter of Madness. Their quest has a tragic arc, not unlike that of Superman...."
Happy Fun-with-Evidence Friday. It's not every day that I come across such a clever, light-hearted approach to explaining serious concepts.
Comments