Most Significant SF & Fantasy Book

[Dave Monroe]

... so, scientific methodically, they all start
testing hypotheses.  "Howzabout all odd numbers
greater than two," thinks the mathematician. 
"Three--okay.  Five--okay.  Seven--okay.  Nine--oh,
well ..."  And she goes on about her business ...

The physicist, meanwhile, thinks, these mathematicians
think they know it all, but any solution to the
problem will require insight into the connection of
abstract knolwedge to the fundamental character of
reality.  "So howzabout all odd numbers greater than
two," he* gedankenexperiments.  "Three--okay. 
Five--okay.  Seven--okay.  Nine--experimental error. 
Eleven ..."  Data is recorded, graphs are drawn ...

The engineer in turn thinks, these pure science types
think they're so smart, but it'll take someone with a
grasp of the pragmatic application of knowledge in the
real world to solve the problem.  "Howzabout all odd
numbers greater than two," he sez.   "Three--okay. 
Five--okay.  Seven--okay.  Nine--okay.  Eleven ..."
...

This is obviously a mathematician's joke ...

* I don't think anyone will fault me for the political
incorrectness here, unless, of course, you DON'T
believe that most men are stupid ...

--- Steven <mcquaryq at comcast.net> wrote:

>  That's an easy one -- there ain't no such bird.
> 
> 
> On Nov 16, 2006, at 4:08 PM, Dave Monroe wrote:
> 
> > A mathematician, a physicist and an engineer each
> > attempt to derive an algorithm to generate prime
> > numbers ...


 
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