David Bessis
@davidbessis.bsky.social
Rogue mathematician
https://davidbessis.substack.com/
https://davidbessis.substack.com/
Reposted by David Bessis
The mathematician David Bessis believes that mathematical skill is not innate, but learned. “Genius is not an essence. It’s a state. It’s a state that you build by doing a certain job.”
Mathematical Thinking Isn’t What You Think It Is | Quanta Magazine
The mathematician David Bessis claims that everyone is capable of, and can benefit greatly from, mathematical thinking.
www.quantamagazine.org
November 27, 2025 at 4:46 PM
The mathematician David Bessis believes that mathematical skill is not innate, but learned. “Genius is not an essence. It’s a state. It’s a state that you build by doing a certain job.”
Reposted by David Bessis
His book "Mathematica" is a real eye-opener. David Bessis describes accurately and vividly the way we perceive and manipulate mathematical objects. Colleagues who read it also felt he put into words what they had not been able to formulate about the mathematical process. Highly recommended.
The mathematician David Bessis believes that mathematical skill is not innate, but learned. “Genius is not an essence. It’s a state. It’s a state that you build by doing a certain job.”
Mathematical Thinking Isn’t What You Think It Is | Quanta Magazine
The mathematician David Bessis claims that everyone is capable of, and can benefit greatly from, mathematical thinking.
www.quantamagazine.org
November 27, 2025 at 8:05 PM
His book "Mathematica" is a real eye-opener. David Bessis describes accurately and vividly the way we perceive and manipulate mathematical objects. Colleagues who read it also felt he put into words what they had not been able to formulate about the mathematical process. Highly recommended.
Just received this legitimate reader request: could I publish a French Substack, alongside the original English? (The same could be asked about my posts here.) I could, but it wouldn't be worth the effort. I'm writing for a global audience whose only lingua franca is English.
November 17, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Just received this legitimate reader request: could I publish a French Substack, alongside the original English? (The same could be asked about my posts here.) I could, but it wouldn't be worth the effort. I'm writing for a global audience whose only lingua franca is English.
Reposted by David Bessis
Russ Roberts’ “Econ Talk” is one of the most interesting podcasts.
This episode with @davidbessis.bsky.social is truly fascinating.
It got me thinking we should train students to think of research as “a dialogue between intuition and evidence.”
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
This episode with @davidbessis.bsky.social is truly fascinating.
It got me thinking we should train students to think of research as “a dialogue between intuition and evidence.”
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
A Mind-Blowing Way of Looking at Math (with David Bessis)
Podcast Episode · EconTalk · 10/27/2025 · 1h 22m
podcasts.apple.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Russ Roberts’ “Econ Talk” is one of the most interesting podcasts.
This episode with @davidbessis.bsky.social is truly fascinating.
It got me thinking we should train students to think of research as “a dialogue between intuition and evidence.”
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
This episode with @davidbessis.bsky.social is truly fascinating.
It got me thinking we should train students to think of research as “a dialogue between intuition and evidence.”
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Reposted by David Bessis
Writing is hard — and it should be
The excruciating art of clarifying your mind
open.substack.com
September 16, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Reposted by David Bessis
“We seek numbness, avoidance of pain, oblivion...I wake up every day aiming at Christianity, and often can’t even land on Epicureanism.”
@philipchristman.bsky.social sums up our times in his amazing @plough.bsky.social Book Tour Reviews:
www.plough.com/en/topics/cu...
@philipchristman.bsky.social sums up our times in his amazing @plough.bsky.social Book Tour Reviews:
www.plough.com/en/topics/cu...
Book Tour: World Enough and Time
Phil Christman reviews Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation by George Musser, Mathematica: A Secret World of Intuition and Curiosity by David Bessis, Fully Alive by Elizabeth Oldfield, and Making Ti...
www.plough.com
August 5, 2025 at 11:34 PM
“We seek numbness, avoidance of pain, oblivion...I wake up every day aiming at Christianity, and often can’t even land on Epicureanism.”
@philipchristman.bsky.social sums up our times in his amazing @plough.bsky.social Book Tour Reviews:
www.plough.com/en/topics/cu...
@philipchristman.bsky.social sums up our times in his amazing @plough.bsky.social Book Tour Reviews:
www.plough.com/en/topics/cu...
Why you can't fit Terry Tao on a bell curve, and why genius is too extreme for genetics:
davidbessis.substack.com/p/why-genes-...
davidbessis.substack.com/p/why-genes-...
Why genes can't explain genius
The mathematical structure of cognitive inequality
davidbessis.substack.com
June 16, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Why you can't fit Terry Tao on a bell curve, and why genius is too extreme for genetics:
davidbessis.substack.com/p/why-genes-...
davidbessis.substack.com/p/why-genes-...
If you're curious about absurdly over-engineered protocols for drawing winners of public giveaways — or if you just want a free copy of my book — take a look at my new long form post.
davidbessis.substack.com/p/paperback-...
davidbessis.substack.com/p/paperback-...
Paperback is in! — a cryptographic giveaway
Win a signed copy of Mathematica: A Secret World of Intuition and Curiosity
davidbessis.substack.com
May 15, 2025 at 4:59 PM
If you're curious about absurdly over-engineered protocols for drawing winners of public giveaways — or if you just want a free copy of my book — take a look at my new long form post.
davidbessis.substack.com/p/paperback-...
davidbessis.substack.com/p/paperback-...
"Successful math becomes so intuitive that it no longer feels like math." New long form post...
davidbessis.substack.com/p/the-magic-...
davidbessis.substack.com/p/the-magic-...
The magic of mathematical intuition
Why the math you do understand feels stupidly easy
davidbessis.substack.com
April 17, 2025 at 6:00 PM
"Successful math becomes so intuitive that it no longer feels like math." New long form post...
davidbessis.substack.com/p/the-magic-...
davidbessis.substack.com/p/the-magic-...
Reposted by David Bessis
Turing's high school teacher (from B. Jack Copeland's biography of Turing). More evidence for @davidbessis.bsky.social's hypothesis: great mathematicians got great by continuously reconstructing everything they were taught, for themselves. This is why Turing invented "the Turing machine" at age 23.
March 25, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Turing's high school teacher (from B. Jack Copeland's biography of Turing). More evidence for @davidbessis.bsky.social's hypothesis: great mathematicians got great by continuously reconstructing everything they were taught, for themselves. This is why Turing invented "the Turing machine" at age 23.
"I am struggling to think who would want to read this book"
—new long form post!
davidbessis.substack.com/p/i-am-strug...
—new long form post!
davidbessis.substack.com/p/i-am-strug...
"I am struggling to think who would want to read this book"
The reader report that could have killed my book, and proved it right
davidbessis.substack.com
March 21, 2025 at 9:40 AM
"I am struggling to think who would want to read this book"
—new long form post!
davidbessis.substack.com/p/i-am-strug...
—new long form post!
davidbessis.substack.com/p/i-am-strug...
Reposted by David Bessis
Having fought and overcome the twin demons of anxiety and depression, there is nothing any fascist could do to scare me.
10. This is the reality of being an academic in the United States today.
But Vought and Rufo are missing something.
We aren't cowards.
And we know we are not the enemies of the American people either, much as these ideologues might like to claim that.
But Vought and Rufo are missing something.
We aren't cowards.
And we know we are not the enemies of the American people either, much as these ideologues might like to claim that.
March 20, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Having fought and overcome the twin demons of anxiety and depression, there is nothing any fascist could do to scare me.
For some reason, my first long form post is suddenly getting viral: it received 2x more views in the past 30 days than in the first 3 months.
davidbessis.substack.com/p/weve-been-...
davidbessis.substack.com/p/weve-been-...
March 10, 2025 at 9:35 PM
For some reason, my first long form post is suddenly getting viral: it received 2x more views in the past 30 days than in the first 3 months.
davidbessis.substack.com/p/weve-been-...
davidbessis.substack.com/p/weve-been-...
Reposted by David Bessis
Here it is finally: Our mathematical methods book for life scientists! Aimed at advanced undergrads and beginning grad students, plus all those who want a deeper look at the math behind quantitative biology. @portugueslab.bsky.social.
1/3
1/3
"Mathematics in Biology" is a concise but rigorous textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students across the biological sciences that provides a foundation for understanding the methods used in quantitative biology: @mameister4.bsky.social
Mathematics in Biology
Biology has turned into a quantitative science. The core problems in the life sciences today involve complex systems that require mathematical expression, ye...
mitpress.mit.edu
February 20, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Here it is finally: Our mathematical methods book for life scientists! Aimed at advanced undergrads and beginning grad students, plus all those who want a deeper look at the math behind quantitative biology. @portugueslab.bsky.social.
1/3
1/3
"With the possible exception of a few lost tribes somewhere in the Amazon or Andaman Islands, career mathematicians are the last true animists in this world."
From my new long form post: davidbessis.substack.com/p/the-real-m...
From my new long form post: davidbessis.substack.com/p/the-real-m...
The real mathematics is the one that we dream
The ancient taboo at the heart of rationality
davidbessis.substack.com
February 19, 2025 at 6:35 PM
"With the possible exception of a few lost tribes somewhere in the Amazon or Andaman Islands, career mathematicians are the last true animists in this world."
From my new long form post: davidbessis.substack.com/p/the-real-m...
From my new long form post: davidbessis.substack.com/p/the-real-m...
I am delighted to announce that Mathematica has received Ukrainian 🍾 and Korean 🍾 translation offers, adding to the long list of international editions:
French, Japanese, Italian, English, Russian, plus Greek 🍾, Chinese 🍾 and Turkish🍾 that are due soon.
A total of 10 languages!
French, Japanese, Italian, English, Russian, plus Greek 🍾, Chinese 🍾 and Turkish🍾 that are due soon.
A total of 10 languages!
February 11, 2025 at 5:23 PM
I am delighted to announce that Mathematica has received Ukrainian 🍾 and Korean 🍾 translation offers, adding to the long list of international editions:
French, Japanese, Italian, English, Russian, plus Greek 🍾, Chinese 🍾 and Turkish🍾 that are due soon.
A total of 10 languages!
French, Japanese, Italian, English, Russian, plus Greek 🍾, Chinese 🍾 and Turkish🍾 that are due soon.
A total of 10 languages!
Reposted by David Bessis
So:
- concrete foundations for formal math
- sand and mud foundations for intuitive math
- no reason to do formal math if it wasn't for its "meaning"
=> math only exists because meaningless formalism ENHANCES our ability to build semantics
=> this is the true motivation of my conceptualist take
- concrete foundations for formal math
- sand and mud foundations for intuitive math
- no reason to do formal math if it wasn't for its "meaning"
=> math only exists because meaningless formalism ENHANCES our ability to build semantics
=> this is the true motivation of my conceptualist take
January 23, 2025 at 11:59 AM
So:
- concrete foundations for formal math
- sand and mud foundations for intuitive math
- no reason to do formal math if it wasn't for its "meaning"
=> math only exists because meaningless formalism ENHANCES our ability to build semantics
=> this is the true motivation of my conceptualist take
- concrete foundations for formal math
- sand and mud foundations for intuitive math
- no reason to do formal math if it wasn't for its "meaning"
=> math only exists because meaningless formalism ENHANCES our ability to build semantics
=> this is the true motivation of my conceptualist take
The fascinating final words of Bouchard's 1990 Science paper on IQ & twins reared apart.
While the paper is methodologically unsound — and its results aren't to be trusted — I actually enjoy the boldness of their conclusion.
Make no mistake, the stakes are super high!
While the paper is methodologically unsound — and its results aren't to be trusted — I actually enjoy the boldness of their conclusion.
Make no mistake, the stakes are super high!
January 17, 2025 at 2:13 PM
The fascinating final words of Bouchard's 1990 Science paper on IQ & twins reared apart.
While the paper is methodologically unsound — and its results aren't to be trusted — I actually enjoy the boldness of their conclusion.
Make no mistake, the stakes are super high!
While the paper is methodologically unsound — and its results aren't to be trusted — I actually enjoy the boldness of their conclusion.
Make no mistake, the stakes are super high!
Philosophers: logic is the foundation of mathematics.
Mathematicians:
Mathematicians:
January 9, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Philosophers: logic is the foundation of mathematics.
Mathematicians:
Mathematicians:
Reposted by David Bessis
This was phenomenal.
There is also a wonderful critique of Kahneman's System 1 and System 2 theory; Bessis proposes that it is missing System 3, a way of mediating or meditating between 1 and 2.
There is also a wonderful critique of Kahneman's System 1 and System 2 theory; Bessis proposes that it is missing System 3, a way of mediating or meditating between 1 and 2.
January 7, 2025 at 3:59 PM
This was phenomenal.
There is also a wonderful critique of Kahneman's System 1 and System 2 theory; Bessis proposes that it is missing System 3, a way of mediating or meditating between 1 and 2.
There is also a wonderful critique of Kahneman's System 1 and System 2 theory; Bessis proposes that it is missing System 3, a way of mediating or meditating between 1 and 2.
Beyond nature and nurture: How mathematics changed my view on talent
davidbessis.substack.com/p/beyond-nat...
davidbessis.substack.com/p/beyond-nat...
Beyond nature and nurture
How mathematics changed my view on talent
davidbessis.substack.com
January 9, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Beyond nature and nurture: How mathematics changed my view on talent
davidbessis.substack.com/p/beyond-nat...
davidbessis.substack.com/p/beyond-nat...
"While asleep, I had an unusual experience. There was a red screen formed by flowing blood, as it were. I was observing it. Suddenly a hand began to write on the screen [...] a number of elliptic integrals. They stuck to my mind."
— Srinivasa Ramanujan
— Srinivasa Ramanujan
January 8, 2025 at 4:26 PM
"While asleep, I had an unusual experience. There was a red screen formed by flowing blood, as it were. I was observing it. Suddenly a hand began to write on the screen [...] a number of elliptic integrals. They stuck to my mind."
— Srinivasa Ramanujan
— Srinivasa Ramanujan