I am not a mathematician or a scientist. Most of what I write here is not new or original with me but derived from, or inspired by, the published works of notable authorities in diverse fields. I am intrigued and enlightened by their writings and a collector of their thoughts and ideas, transposing them into my own ways of looking at things. I do not pretend to perfectly understand or faithfully convey these complex subjects. And I am humbly aware that I likely often get things quite wrong. I also make no claim to scientific accuracy. This is a place for imagination, wonderment and even fantasy. Sort of a fireside gathering of armchairs, for all who, like me, are awed by the profound mysteries and implications of infinity. So pull up a chair, pour yourself a delicious Don Ciccio Concerto, and allow your mind to wander into the fringes of the infinite realm.
Throughout, I try to give credit to those from whose writings I have drawn. I may miss a few from time to time without intention, for which I truly apologize. I will keep a growing bibliography of sources, but make no pretense to footnote every sentence, thought or idea that has its origins elsewhere than inside my own head. In my philosophy there are no original thoughts, and all of human endeavor is derivative of what has come before. From Aristotle to Gallileo to Newton to Einstein to Hawking, all have built upon the work of those who preceded them.
Bibliography
1. My first bibliography entry goes to Steven Strogatz, the Schurman Professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University. Among his honors are MIT’s highest teaching prize, membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a lifetime achievement award for communication of math to the general public, awarded by the four major American mathematical societies. A frequent guest on WNYC’s “Radiolab,” he is the author, most recently, of “The Joy of x,” which grew out of this New York Times Opinionator series, “The Elements of Math.” You can follow him on Twitter @stevenstrogatz. I highly recommend the NYT series, especially the installment on set theory and infinity, titled The Hilbert Hotel, May 9, 2010.
2. Stuart Thompson, professor and neurobiologist, Stanford University.
The Infinite Fringe 