A Mind-Blowing Way of Looking at Math (with David Bessis)

27 Oct 2025 • 81 min • EN
81 min
00:00
01:21:53
No file found

What if math isn't about grinding through equations, but about training your intuition and changing how your brain works? Mathematician and author David Bessis tells EconTalk's Russ Roberts that the secret of mathematics isn't logic--it's the way we learn to see. He explains why math books aren't meant to be read like novels, how great mathematicians toggle between images and formal proofs, and why we need a third mode of thought--"System 3"--that patiently retrains our intuition and the power of imagination. Bessis and Russ Roberts swap stories about the humility of great mathematicians, how Andrew Wiles "saw" the fix to his proof of Fermat's last theorem, and Ramanujan's dream-revelations that proved true.

From "EconTalk"

Listen on your iPhone

Download our iOS app and listen to interviews anywhere. Enjoy all of the listener functions in one slick package. Why not give it a try?

App Store Logo
application screenshot

Popular categories