Scientists Archives - Take in Mind

Science and Money

August 6, 2022 By Leonid Livshits

“Tell me honestly, how much money do you need to be happy?” The Little Golden Calf by Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov Good day, dear TakeRead More

“Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend”

February 28, 2022 By Leonid Livshits

Good day, dear Take in Mind readers! Plato (428/427-348/347 BC) was the greatest ancient Greek philosopher, founder of the Academy and the Platonist tradition. HisRead More

Incredible Mind: Divine Mathematics

November 13, 2021 By Samyon Ristov

Where do ideas come from? Have you ever thought about that? For example, you are trying to solve a problem and you are looking forRead More

Alexander Borodin: A Universal Genius

December 26, 2020 By Leonid Livshits

Alexander Porfirevich Borodin (1833-1887) was a Russian doctor, famous organic chemist, and famous musical composer. At the age of 19, he received a Doctor ofRead More

Semmelweis Reflex – Don’t Confuse Me With the Facts

March 6, 2020 By Dmitri Burshtyn

Semmelweis Reflex – The reflex-like tendency to reject new evidence or new knowledge because it contradicts established norms, beliefs, or paradigms(1). The story of Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis,Read More

Infinitely Many… Solutions!

February 20, 2020 By Administrator

Scientific rumors connect this story with Sir Ernest Rutherford, the “father” of nuclear physics. However, it is highly doubtful that Sir Rutherford, who at theRead More

Family Values

February 13, 2020 By Leonid Livshits

Good day, our dear readers! As a preparation for the Valentine’s Day, we have decided to recall the most famous couples who glorified science throughRead More

Dantzig’s paradox, or what is the right way to oversleep a lecture

January 23, 2020 By Administrator

True story: Famous American mathematical scientist, George Bernard Dantzig recounted his story in a 1986 interview for the College Mathematics Journal: “It happened because duringRead More

Eleven curious facts about Loius Pasteur (1822–1895)

November 29, 2019 By Administrator

Pasteur’s father, a retired sergeant and an owner of a small tannery, was almost illiterate. He dreamed of seeing his son as an educated personRead More

Eleven curious facts about Theophrastus Paracelsus (1493-1541)

October 30, 2019 By Leonid Livshits

1. Philip Aureol Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim, also known as Paracelsus was the successor to the famous medical dynasty. 2. Paracelsus gave a great importance to the use of chemistry in medicine, andRead More

Scientific Humor

About man’s fidelity!

…and there is another story. Once Thomas Edison’s wife told him: “Darling, you are so tired! Go somewhere, relax, have a rest, enjoy your time…” Edison listened to his wife’s wise advice, instantly packed up, and disappeared somewhere… The next day she found the inventor… in his own laboratory, where he actually spent the previous day and night, working with enthusiasm. To her surprised question, happy Edison replied: “Oh my, I’ve rested so well!”

Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) was a famous American inventor and businessman

Take a look

Once upon a time, a Brahmin (sage) invented the game of chess to teach the cruel Raja (the ruler) to treat his subjects well. In that game, the “Raja” (the name of one of the chess pieces) is the head of the state. If the “Raja” is captured, then his state ceases to exist. In case of danger, the “Raja” cannot survive without his faithful defenders and assistants – other figures.

The Raja was amazed by the game, understood its meaning, and promised not to oppress his subjects in the future. He then asked the Brahmin to choose the greatest reward he may wish for. The Brahmin replied that he wants to be rewarded with… wheat, but based on the following calculation: put one grain on the first cell of the chessboard, two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth, etc., doubling the number of grains on each subsequent cell.

The Raja, seeing that there are only 64 cells on the board, was surprised at the insignificance of the request. He decided that it’ll take about one or two sacks of wheat to fulfill it and gave the order to issue the reward immediately. Soon, the court mathematicians reported that the Raja would have to give so many grains, for which it would be necessary to sow the entire Earth, and the grown wheat would be enough to feed the whole population of Earth for 100 years.

Of course, the Raja could not fulfill his hasty promise and received another wise lesson from the inventor of the game of chess.

— A folk tale. Retold in the book “A complete course of chess: 64 lessons for beginners and not very experienced player”s, by S.B. Gubnitsky, M.G. Khanukov, S.A. Shedey.

The photo (own work) illustrates the second part of the fable, about exponential growth. In some variations, rice is requested instead of wheat, but in the photo, Wild Rice is used. The chess pieces’ positions are not random but positioned as in one of the first known chess riddles. In fact, it’s not even a chess riddle, but a Mansuba, a Shatranj problem, composed by Abu Na’im al Khadim (9th century). Shatranj is an old form of chess, with very similar rules. The differences in the rules don’t affect the riddle. White to move, and mate in three.

An easier view of the riddle is available in the first comment. Can you solve one of the oldest chess riddles?

Image source: Own work.

Think about

A few words about imagination

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” ― Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist.

The great German mathematician David Hilbert (1862–1943) noticed that one of his students had started missing his lectures. When he asked for the reason, he was told that the student had left mathematics in favor of poetry. “Ah, yes,” said Hilbert, “I always thought he didn’t have enough imagination for mathematics…”

It is strange that only extraordinary men make the discoveries, which later appear so easy and simple. Georg Lichtenberg (1742 – 1799) was a German experimental physicist.

“You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself.” Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an Italian astronomer, mathematician, physicist, and philosopher.

“To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” — Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931) was an American inventor and businessman.