The Joy of True Mental Effort
Fully engaging your brain with no distractions can be a reminder of what the mind is capable of.
This week, Lila Shroff shares her experience at a unique "drunk deriving" party in San Francisco, where participants enjoy solving mathematical and logical problems while enjoying alcohol. The winning team is determined by the highest combined blood-alcohol levels and exam scores. Lila visits with mathematicians who remain dedicated to the joy of doing math, even as artificial intelligence transforms the field.
Each mathematician she speaks with finds personal meaning in numbers - some revel in the purity of knowing there's one correct answer, while others savor the adrenaline rush of problem-solving. A common theme emerges: the importance of togetherness in collaboration. Lila believes that as math becomes more accessible to the public, this kind of joint effort will become even more crucial.
She notes that the future may lie in the "drunk" part of the "drunk-math party," not in encouraging drunkenness itself, but in the partnership observed while team members help one another. Today's newsletter also delves into how to fully engage the brain and the value of doing so alongside others.
Written by urgent.news from The Atlantic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
