The last level of metaphor in the Alice books is this: that life, viewed rationally and without illusion, appears to be a nonsense tale told by an idiot mathematician.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that life can seem senseless and illogical when approached with pure rationality.
In this quote, Martin Gardner reflects on the nature of life as perceived through a lens of rationality and logic. He likens life to a nonsensical story, implying that our attempts to find meaning and coherence may be futile, especially when viewed without the comfort of illusion. The metaphor of an 'idiot mathematician' further emphasizes the absurdity and unpredictability of existence, suggesting that strict rational analysis can lead to a sense of disillusionment.
In practice
In a discussion about the absurdity of modern life during a philosophy class.
Politicians, real-estate agents, used-car salesmen, and advertising copy-writers are expected to stretch facts in self-serving directions, but scientists who falsify their results are regarded by their peers as committing an inexcusable crime. Yet the sad fact is that the history of science swarms with cases of outright fakery and instances of scientists who unconsciously distorted their work by seeing it through lenses of passionately held beliefs.
Debunking bad science should be constant obligation of the science community, even if it takes time away from serious research or seems to be a losing battle. One takes comfort from the fact there is no Gresham's laws in science. In the long run, good science drives out bad.
If all sentient beings in the universe disappeared, there would remain a sense in which mathematical objects and theorems would continue to exist even though there would be no one around to write or talk about them. Huge prime numbers would continue to be prime, even if no one had proved them prime.
In no other branch of mathematics is it so easy for experts to blunder as in probability theory.
There are, and always have been, destructive pseudo-scientific notions linked to race and religion; these are the most widespread and damaging. Hopefully, educated people can succeed in shedding light into these areas of prejudice and ignorance, for as Voltaire once said: "Men will commit atrocities as long as they believe absurdities."
Modern science should indeed arouse in all of us a humility before the immensity of the unexplored and a tolerance for crazy hypotheses.
Men are so necessarily mad, that not to be mad would amount to another form of madness.
Truly there is a tide in the affairs of men; but there is no gulf-stream setting forever in one direction.
Mind is consciousness which has put on limitations. You are originally unlimited and perfect. Later you take on limitations and become the mind.
Anytime I meet people who got to make the deliberate choice, whose parents chose Canada, I'm jealous. Because I think being able to choose it, rather than being Canadian by default, is an amazing statement of attachment to Canada.
The capitalist class rules but does not govern: it contents itself with ruling the government.
Understand that the only possession of any value is life.
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