The spiritual side of math w/ Francis Su

Math Therapy

When you picture a mathematician, what comes to mind? Now … what about a “mathematical explorer”? Well, that’s what Francis Su calls himself, and when Vanessa picked up his book Mathematics for Human Flourishing, she couldn’t put it down. On today's episode they explore how mathematical discovery can unleash the wonder and curiosity innate within us all. They also discuss some deep questions, like why do people have different emotional reactions to math compared to other fields? How can humans cultivate the virtues we'll need to keep AI in check? And why is change so hard, both in educational reform but also in our own lives?
About Francis (Website, Twitter)
Francis Su is an award-winning professor and author who writes about the dignity of human beings and the wonder of mathematical teaching. The Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and a former president of the Mathematical Association of America, his work has been featured in Quanta Magazine, Wired, and the New York Times.
Show notes:

• S5E02 w/ Deborah Peart, head of the "Mather" movement

Connect with us:

• Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)
• Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)

Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. The "mathematician" stereotype (00:01:27)

3. Human flourishing with math (00:06:48)

4. Hear the symphony before the scales (00:12:28)

5. Skills vs. Virtues (00:15:31)

6. What's different about math? (00:18:40)

7. Trauma as a wound (00:27:35)

8. Why change is so hard (00:30:32)

9. Q1 (00:31:46)

10. Q2 (00:32:08)

11. Finding beauty in math & in life (00:32:52)

12. Outro (00:36:28)