Re: Ask glenn?

["Sven-S. Porst" <ssp@earthling.net>]

>What one question, would you ask, Mr. Gould, providing he1d answer it no
>matter what it was? What do you suppose his answer would be?

Interestingly, I cannot think of a single question to ask. To me there is
no big question I've always wanted to ask him.

I am sure it would be extremely enjoyable to spend an evening or a whole
week with him discussing various topics (say, taste in literature,
philosophy, food, anything really) - but that's probably just the
assumption that discussing those with any interesting and intelligent
persion is well worth the time and not specific to GG.

Actually, I can imagine a few topics I wouldn't talk about. Among them,
funnily, is his music as - while I love listening to it and all - I
assume that subject would be extremely boring for him due to my immense
ignorance (personally I hate talking to people about things I am advanced
at if they are  ignorant amateurs - especially if they are genuinely
interested as I wouldn't want to put them off). Also politics and current
affairs wouldn't be too good a subject as I am too young to consciously
remember the time when he was still alive...

Errrm, one thing I am wondering about is whether he liked mathematics
(and that's real mathematics not numerology humbug and the likes). As
appreciation  of both structure and beauty seems important in both music
and mathematics, I am alwas curious to learn more about the relation of
them. (And, btw, I've met quite a few GG fans in mathematics departments..).

So, if I had to ask a single question right now, I guess I couldn't come
up with a better one than that one. No idea about the answer - but I'll
keep my fingers crossed that it's positive :)

            Sven


--
Sven-S. Porst . PGP: 0x0085ABA3 . http://homepage.mac.com/ssp
          What the public wants is a little intellectual kick,
           and nothing else has quite the kick of mathematics.
                     -- G.H. Hardy, A Mathematician's Apology