Monday, August 30, 2010

Going Nomad

As we face the specter of an emergency move, I asked my wife if she'd be interested in becoming nomads.  She certainly is not!  Doing so would probably be even more difficult with a family.

It's something I've thought about occasionally.  What would we need to live a life of nomads?  How would I limit my possessions?  Since I am interested in machining, how would I make a portable workshop?  I haven't yet been able to find the time to sit down and explore these questions as much as I'd like.

This is something I've especially thought about, since learning about Paul Erdos.  He wandered from university to university, talked continually about mathematics, and encouraged as many people as possible to do research.  His possessions fit into a single suitcase, and the closest thing he had to a home was a room in another mathematican's house, which also included a bed and a file cabinet full of mathematical papers.

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