The Science in The Fiction Mark Mac Lean on Mathematics in 'Neverness' by David Zindell
Marty has a conversation about David Zindell's 'Neverness' with Mark Mac Lean, professor of Mathematics at the University of British Columbia. We talk about the poetic and philosophical use of mathematics as the engine of faster-than-light travel in the Neverness universe, and contemplate the relationship of mathematics to truth, beauty, perfection, and physical reality. Along the way we discuss the foundations of mathematics, Godel's incompleteness theorems, the Reimann hypothesis and the continuity theorem, both the real one and its fictional twin in the novel. We also reflect on what a gift it is that David Zindell is able to convey the feeling of doing mathematics, and the almost mystical experience of connecting to this seemingly higher realm of reality.
Mark Mac Lean:
https://personal.math.ubc.ca/~maclean/maclean.html
David Zindell:
https://www.davidzindell.com/
Email:
thescienceinthefiction@gmail.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/743522660965257/