Steven Strogatz on the Humanity of Math

Steven Strogatz, a mathematician at Cornell and author of The Joy of x, Infinite Powers, and most recently Big Math (with Alex Townsend), returns to the podcast for a conversation about what AI means for the field of mathematics. Steven believes that the field is anything but dead. In fact, this might be the best time to go into math.

They discuss whether human understanding still matters when machines can find the answers, why we may come to value our own imperfections more, and what the job of a mathematician could look like in the years ahead. The conversation also covers a paper-folding puzzle that turns students who hate math into students who get it, a passage from Ecclesiastes, and why, for Steven, math has always been about people.

Join the Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/3blue1brown/

Discover exciting roles for the mathematically curious at https://www.3blue1brown.com/talent

00:00 Relaunching the 3b1b Podcast

01:58 AI is the conversation among mathematicians

03:21 What do you tell a student considering math?

04:06 AI as the great equalizer

06:20 Mathematical "rizz"

09:17 What if AI becomes a superhuman explainer?

12:34 Will "mathematician" still be a profession?

13:37 Finding humanity more precious

16:58 What's left for those who want to be pioneers?

21:39 Is solving the problem the point?

28:01 Two cultures of mathematics, and pure vs. applied

29:14 How Maxwell's math revealed the nature of light

33:55 Is understanding overrated?

43:50 Fermat vs. Goldbach: math that generates more math

47:43 Will human mathematicians exist?

54:44 Why learn math when AI can do it?

1:01:28 What should earn academic status?

1:05:21 Ecclesiastes: "Everything is beautiful in its time"

1:07:40 Does mathematical beauty depend on problem solving?

1:12:44 Math Explorations and the one-cut triangle puzzle

1:18:57 Should we still grade homework?

1:24:29 Research in the service of teaching

1:28:23 What should a math PhD look like now?

1:33:30 Poincaré, Lorenz and the birth of chaos theory

1:37:39 What's next for Steve