Billionnair Mathematician

Unbelievable organization and a business model? that has caught all my attention. This would be on top of my list to explore and understand? How the hell one can do something like this? Thomas Edison did something like this? ..

"With a fortune estimated at $12.5 billion, Dr. Simons now runs a tidy universe of science endeavors, financing not only math teachers but hundreds of the world’s best investigators, even as Washington has reduced its support for scientific research. His favorite topics include gene puzzles, the origins of life, the roots of autism, math and computer frontiers, basic physics and the structure of the early cosmos."

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Leadership and Faith - Mahatma Gandhi

Here is a very telling experiment with truth(As he calls it) by Mahatma Gandhi

Excerpts from his autobiography The story of my experiments with truth

Mahatma Gandhi was living in Girgaun Mumbai. His10 year old son, Manilal, was down with typhoid and pneumonia. Just few months ago he had suffered from small pox. He was already weak. The doctor who was taking care, looking at his condition told Gandhi that his son had to be given eggs and chicken broth as his medicines had no effect on Manilal's fever. Gandhi suggested milk instead. “your son’s life is in danger” said the doctor. Gandhi writes “To my mind it’s only on such occasions that a man’s faith is tested.” 

He chose not to give chicken broth.

Remember, he is the same Gandhi who ate meat for almost one year while he was young! He could have easily gone the other way for this one occasion. As David Hume, famous British philosopher said, reason is only slave of passion. If he was not watchful, his reasoning mind could easily trick him to say, hey, this is not voilation of my religious faith, it is being caring towards your son. Reason, as it is a subordinate to strong emotion such as care for one's son could have come up with a plausible, practical looking, convincing alternative - give meat this one time. 

Gandhi's conviction was stronger to sustain this wavering of the mind!

On being purposeful

Here is what Mahatma Gandhi has said- page -146 in his auto biography

“If I found myself entirely absorbed in the service of community, the reason behind it was my desire for self-realization. I had made the religion of service my own, as I felt that God could be realized only through service. Service for me is service of India, because it came to me without my seeking. I had gone to South Africa for travel, to escape from kathiwad intrigues and to gain my own livelihood. But as I said, I found myself in search of God(Ram- this addition in bracket is mine.) and striving for self-realization.”