Books Quote by Isaac Asimov
““For instance, in a book entitled Mathematics and the Imagination (published in 1940) the authors, Edward Kasner and James Newman, introduced a number called the "googol," which is good and large and which was promptly taken up by writers of books and articles on popular mathematics. Personally, I think it is an awful name, but the young child of one of the authors invented it, and what could a proud father do? Thus, we are afflicted forever with that baby-talk number.””
About This Quote
The term “googol” illustrates how playful language can become entrenched in scientific culture despite personal dislike.
In simple terms: A baby‑talk number stuck in math.
Key Takeaway
Accept quirky terminology.
Themes
language
science
culture
Mood
amused
curious
Type
literary
informative
When to use this quote
- education
- popular science writing
- branding
Key Concepts
linguistics
mathematics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does language shape scientific perception?
- When should you rename concepts?
A Different Perspective
May cause confusion.
![“But beyond these joys, the look and action of numbers, is what they represent. [...] Numbers are an invention of the human mind, and they represent aspects of that mind in ways that are continuously intriguing and often mysterious. [...] What is a calculation but a holding of one constellation of…” quote by P. Carey Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5a4/p-carey-reid-44436_human-mind_but-beyond-these-joys-the-look-and-actio_3112104.jpg)
