The Nobel and Noble In Math

Today's NY Times carries an interesting historical piece on the Fields Medal (to be awarded to unannounced winners next Wednesday). The interesting part is the story of Stephen Smale, a University of California at Berkeley winner back in 1966, and the political shenanigans that shadowed him because of his political activism. Politics and mathematics, to the surprise of many, do sometimes intertwine. With many mathematicians today taking stands against NSA work or certain other Government activities… and, with the Fields Medals being given out next week... it's a timely piece:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/opinion/sunday/how-math-got-its-nobel-.html?_r=2