Our protagonist has celebrated his 95th birthday by publication of a new book of his essays on science, mathematics and philosophy. The author is best known as the Scientific American columnist on recreation mathematics, having what one could call a cult following. The ninth conference in his honour will took place in Atlanta, March 2010. "When you figure out the answer", John Tierney writes on his puzzles, "you know you've found something that is indisputably true anywhere, anytime. For a brief moment, the universe makes perfect sense".
Any author is our neighbour, no matter whether geographically close or not. As we read, a dialogue unfolds in our heads. We may inquire, agree, or argue. Here Mr. Gardner takes a deck of cards, chooses one card and puts it on the table, face down. A magician since his childhood, he prefers to explain a wild range of subjects using this simple tool.
If we now state that this card is the queen of hearts, he could say, the statement will be true or false depending on what the actual card is. We can even test the statement, by turning the card face up, because the card exists "out there", as a part of reality. If we shuffle the card back into the deck, the statement would still be true or false, because the card is still a part of the reality. Even if we photograph a card's back and then burn the whole deck, our statement will still remain true or false, even if its truth or falsity is impossible to test. The ultimate truth exists "out there", regardless of whether we are able to test it or not.
Philosophical questions help to set forth basic humane problems. Though it may seem that any person can dwell on philosophical aspects, profound discussion requires theoretical skills and academic background. Professional paper writers prepare qualified custom essays and research papers based on the latest scientific discoveries.
