Day 616
Mental math
In 1759, Francis Maseres wrote that negative numbers "darken the very whole doctrines of the equations and make dark of the things which are in their nature excessively obvious and simple.1"
Simon’s re-tweet of Ellen, former New York Times Moscow Bureau Chief, reminded me of the British mathematician and outdated metaphors for thinking.
As for hope ebbing, I don’t think so. The writings of Francis, Ellen and Simon are excessively melodramatic. So was the portrait of Z.
Number lines and and timelines will make it simple enough to teach future generations what actually took place in Kyiv during the first two decades of the 21st century. Because we are a species that relies on socially transmitted information, Ukrainian kids will necessarily catch up very quickly.
We all remember Ellen after the full-out invasion, yes?
