Martin Gardner 1914 - 2010

Feel it necessary to report that Martin Gardner died of natural causes this weekend in Norman, OK., at the age of 95. One of my favorite writers/essayists/thinkers who I blogged on a few occasions here:

http://scienceontap.blogspot.com/2009/07/martin-gardner.html

http://scienceontap.blogspot.com/2009/10/jinn-from-hyperspace.html

http://scienceontap.blogspot.com/2010/04/martin-gardner-again.html

He will be missed, but had an incredible and productive life, leaving behind a treasure-trove of both rich and entertaining writings. He was so much more than a mathematician, but still I'll repeat here a favorite quote (from mathematician Ronald Graham), about him:

“Many have tried to emulate him; no one has succeeded. Martin has turned thousands of children into mathematicians, and thousands of mathematicians into children.”

Lengthy Scientific American profile here:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=profile-of-martin-gardner 

...here another good obituary:

http://usnews.freshcontentengine.com/martin-gardner-obituary/

And here a video on Gardner from David Suzuki's "The Nature of Things" (which focuses on his math and magic interests, but unfortunately leaves out his forays into philosophy and literature):

http://vimeo.com/7176521

Worth noting that, unlike many of his fellow skeptics, Gardner labeled himself a "Mysterian;" one who believes that certain deep scientific problems can never be solved or fully comprehended by the human brain. See more here:

http://www.experiencefestival.com/new_mysterianism

Finally, if by any chance you're unfamiliar with Gardner I especially recommend his essay volume "The Night Is Large" as one great place to become acquainted.