[FOM] Archimedes's "Method"

[S. S. Kutateladze]

Alasdair Urquhart> I've read the book by Netz and Noel, "The Archimedes Codex."
Alasdair Urquhart> It's an entertaining piece of popular history/science,
Alasdair Urquhart> but it is full of tasteless and foolish exaggeration,
Alasdair Urquhart> as well as silly bragging.
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Alasdair Urquhart> All of this has been known since 1907, and Netz and Noel have added nothing to all
Alasdair Urquhart> of this.
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Alasdair Urquhart> But now they make the claim that Archimedes anticipated Cantor,
Alasdair Urquhart> and this is their "great discovery."

This is  an instance of timely and much appreciated analysis.  The reading of the palimpsest  is
a triumph of modern technology, while the indecent speculations of the two philosophers
reflect the tragedy of prevalence of pseudoscientific junk in the modern era.


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Sobolev Institute of Mathematics
Novosibirsk State University
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