---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As far as I know, Clifford Pickover is…"
description: "\"As far as I know, Clifford Pickover is the first mathematician to write a book about areas where math and theology overlap. Are there mathematical proo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/martin-gardner-15175_areas_as-far-as-i-know-clifford-pickover-is-th_2085902.jpg"
---

#  As far as I know, Clifford Pickover is the first…

![“As far as I know, Clifford Pickover is the first mathematician to write a book about areas where math and theology overlap. Are there mathematical proofs of God? Who are the great mathematicians who believed in a deity? Does numerology lead anywhere when applied to sacred literature? Pickover…” quote by Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/martin-gardner-15175_areas_as-far-as-i-know-clifford-pickover-is-th_2085902.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/martin-gardner-15175_areas_as-far-as-i-know-clifford-pickover-is-th_2085902.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/martin-gardner-15175_areas_as-far-as-i-know-clifford-pickover-is-th_2085902.jpg)

> “As far as I know, Clifford Pickover is the first mathematician to write a book about areas where math and theology overlap. Are there mathematical proofs of God? Who are the great mathematicians who believed in a deity? Does numerology lead anywhere when applied to sacred literature? Pickover covers these and many other off-trail topics with his usual verve, humor, and clarity. And along the way the reader will learn a great deal of serious mathematics.”

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Explores the intersection of mathematics and theology, questioning proofs of God and the role of numerology in sacred texts.

**In simple terms:** Math and faith intersect, raising questions about divine proof.

Key Takeaway

Consider how math and faith intersect

Themes

science faith philosophy

Mood

inquisitive thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- academic study
- personal belief
- interdisciplinary research

Key Concepts

theology mathematics numerology

Questions to Reflect On

- Can numbers truly explain the divine?
- What limits arise when mixing science with belief?

A Different Perspective

Mathematical proof may not capture spiritual experience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Clarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clarity/) [Deities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deities/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Mathematical proof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematical-proof/) [Mathematician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematician/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Numerology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numerology/) [Proof of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proof-of-god/) [Sacred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred/) [Theology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theology/) [Trails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trails/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [“I spoke of the 'real' mathematics of Fermat and other great mathematicians, the mathematics which has permanent aesthetic value, as for example the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy-2/i-spoke-of-the-real-mathematics-of-fermat-and-other-great/)

[G.H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy-2/)

> [Perhaps the most surprising thing about mathematics is that it is so surprising. The rules which we make up at the beginning seem ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-charles-titchmarsh/perhaps-the-most-surprising-thing-about-mathematics-is-that-it-is-so-2/)

[Edward Charles Titchmarsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-charles-titchmarsh/)

> [“Strange as it may seem, not all of the great mathematicians have been professors in colleges or universities. Quite a few were soldiers by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-temple-bell/strange-as-it-may-seem-not-all-of-the-great-mathematicians-have-been/)

[Eric Temple Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-temple-bell/)

> [“Judged by all practical standards, the value of my mathematical life is nil; and outside mathematics it is trivial anyhow. I have just one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy-2/judged-by-all-practical-standards-the-value-of-my-mathematical-life/)

[G.H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy-2/)

> [Each generation has its few great mathematicians, and mathematics would not even notice the absence of the others. They are useful as teachers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-adler/each-generation-has-its-few-great-mathematicians-and-mathematics/)

[Alfred Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-adler/)

> [Pointing out that countless great mathematicians had tried to solve the problem and failed before you came along is in particularly bad taste and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/pointing-out-that-countless-great-mathematicians-had-tried-to-solve/)

[Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/)

> [Archimedes, Newton, and Gauss, these three, are in a class by themselves among the great mathematicians, and it is not for ordinary mortals to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-temple-bell/archimedes-newton-and-gauss-these-three-are-in-a-class-by-themselves/)

[Eric Temple Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-temple-bell/)

> [Even the greatest mathematicians, the ones that we would put into our mythology of great mathematicians, had to do a great deal of leg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tammet/even-the-greatest-mathematicians-the-ones-that-we-would-put-into-our/)

[Daniel Tammet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tammet/)

> [“Great physicists, great mathematicians, great chemists, and publishers knew that one was always feeling one’s way in the dark.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-bola-o/great-physicists-great-mathematicians-great-chemists-and-publishers/)

[Roberto Bolaño](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-bola-o/)

> [James Edward Oliver might have been one of the great mathematicians of his time had he not been absolutely wanting in the power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-newcomb/james-edward-oliver-might-have-been-one-of-the-great-mathematicians/)

[Simon Newcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-newcomb/)

> [ For other great mathematicians or philosophers, he \[Gauss\] used the epithets magnus, or clarus, or clarissimus; for Newton alone he kept the prefix summus. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-other-great-mathematicians-or-philosophers-he-gauss-used-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm not an intensely mystical person. I don't do numerology. I'm a Cancer, but that's as far as I go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosa-salazar/i-m-not-an-intensely-mystical-person-i-don-t-do-numerology-i-m-a/)

[Rosa Salazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosa-salazar/)

> [Astrology is the sheerest hokum. This pseudoscience has been around since the day of the Chaldeans and Babylonians. It is as phony as numerology,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-j-kilpatrick/astrology-is-the-sheerest-hokum-this-pseudoscience-has-been-around/)

[James J. Kilpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-j-kilpatrick/)

> [“My vision is to help each man, woman and child connect with their inherent psychic ability. I believe that each person has the potential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-anastasi/my-vision-is-to-help-each-man-woman-and-child-connect-with-their/)

Sandy Anastasi

> [The casinos believe in math (and I don't mean numerology).They believe in the power of percentages and short pays, not in the power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-scoblete/the-casinos-believe-in-math-and-i-don-t-mean-numerology-they-believe/)

[Frank Scoblete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-scoblete/)

## More by Martin Gardner

> [If you ask me to tell you anything about the nature of what lies beyond the phaneron… my answer is “How should I know?”……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/if-you-ask-me-to-tell-you-anything-about-the-nature-of-what-lies/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [Debunking bad science should be constant obligation of the science community, even if it takes time away from serious research or seems to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/debunking-bad-science-should-be-constant-obligation-of-the-science/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [Mathematics is not only real, but it is the only reality. That is that entire universe is made of matter, obviously. And matter is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/mathematics-is-not-only-real-but-it-is-the-only-reality-that-is-that/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [There is still a difference between something and nothing, but it is purely geometrical and there is nothing behind the geometry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/there-is-still-a-difference-between-something-and-nothing-but-it-is/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [Let the Bible be the Bible. It's not about science. It's not accurate history. It is a grab bag of religious fantasies written by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/let-the-bible-be-the-bible-it-s-not-about-science-it-s-not-accurate/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [It is part of the pholosophic dullness of our time that there are millions of rational monsters walking about on their hind legs, observing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/it-is-part-of-the-pholosophic-dullness-of-our-time-that-there-are/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [Politicians, real-estate agents, used-car salesmen, and advertising copy-writers are expected to stretch facts in self-serving directions, but scientists who falsify their results are regarded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/politicians-real-estate-agents-used-car-salesmen-and-advertising-copy/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [“Her constant orders for beheading are shocking to those modern critics of children's literature who feel that juvenile fiction should be free of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/her-constant-orders-for-beheading-are-shocking-to-those-modern/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [The violence and double-talk in the Alice books probably does no harm to children, but the novels should not be allowed to circulate indiscriminately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/the-violence-and-double-talk-in-the-alice-books-probably-does-no-harm/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [Mathematics is not only real, but it is the only reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/mathematics-is-not-only-real-but-it-is-the-only-reality/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [As Bertrand Russell once wrote, two plus two is four even in the interior of the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/as-bertrand-russell-once-wrote-two-plus-two-is-four-even-in-the/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [Mathemagical mathematics combines the beauty of mathematical structure with the entertainment value of a trick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/mathemagical-mathematics-combines-the-beauty-of-mathematical/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [The last level of metaphor in the Alice books is this: that life, viewed rationally and without illusion, appears to be a nonsense tale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/the-last-level-of-metaphor-in-the-alice-books-is-this-that-life/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [The universe is almost like a huge magic trick and scientists are trying to figure out how it does what it does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/the-universe-is-almost-like-a-huge-magic-trick-and-scientists-are/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

> [Although Lewis Carroll thought of The Hunting of the Snark as a nonsense ballad for children, it is hard to imagine - in fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/although-lewis-carroll-thought-of-the-hunting-of-the-snark-as-a/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

[Explore all 44 Martin Gardner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

## More Areas quotes

> [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/)

[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/)

> [I am somewhat influenced by the years that I've spent trying to actually get things done, whether it was reforming education in Arkansas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-somewhat-influenced-by-the-years-that-i-ve-spent-trying-to/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [The earliest language was body language and, since this language is the language of questions, if we limit the questions, and if we only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/the-earliest-language-was-body-language-and-since-this-language-is/)

[Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/)

> [This ball was so crowded that it took me - a trained professional journalist with vast experience in this area - forty five minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-ball-was-so-crowded-that-it-took-me-a-trained-professional/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [People don't want to believe that technology is broken. Pharmaceuticals, robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology - all these areas where the progress has been a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/people-don-t-want-to-believe-that-technology-is-broken/)

[Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/)

> [It's absolutely fun to walk around and have people respect you. When Michael Jackson did Thriller, I was in the park one day, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-ross/it-s-absolutely-fun-to-walk-around-and-have-people-respect-you-when/)

[Rick Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-ross/)

> [Software will get to be somewhat more mature, ah, but it will never be as predictable as most areas of engineering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/software-will-get-to-be-somewhat-more-mature-ah-but-it-will-never-be/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [If I were entering adulthood now instead of in the environment of fifty years ago, I would choose a career that kept me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/if-i-were-entering-adulthood-now-instead-of-in-the-environment-of/)

[Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/)

> [The discrepancy between what actually happened and the version of what happened provided by sources is an enormous gray area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/the-discrepancy-between-what-actually-happened-and-the-version-of/)

[Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/)

> [Louisville is a place with no labels. It’s not the South, it’s not Chicago, and you don’t think of it as you think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-james/louisville-is-a-place-with-no-labels-it-s-not-the-south-it-s-not/)

[Jim James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-james/)

> [It turns out that this part of the brain is one of the first areas that's attacked by Alzheimer's disease. So we can now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-keefe/it-turns-out-that-this-part-of-the-brain-is-one-of-the-first-areas/)

[John O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-keefe/)

> [Engaging the city around us and ministering to its needs reveal to us the remaining bastions of sin in our lives, the areas we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/engaging-the-city-around-us-and-ministering-to-its-needs-reveal-to-us/)

[Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/)

> [I believe it is a mistake to isolate arms control from other areas of policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/i-believe-it-is-a-mistake-to-isolate-arms-control-from-other-areas-of/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [Well, the U.N. Security Council resolution 1973 is very clear. It says all necessary measures to be taken to protect civilians and civilian areas.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-jackson/well-the-u-n-security-council-resolution-1973-is-very-clear-it-says/)

[Mike Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-jackson/)

> [When in one area of the world the standard of living and the size of the middle class increases, it is going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lagarde/when-in-one-area-of-the-world-the-standard-of-living-and-the-size-of/)

[Christine Lagarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lagarde/)

Browse all 2,612 Areas quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "As far as I know, Clifford Pickover is the first mathematician to write a book about areas where math and theology overlap. Are there mathematical proofs of God? Who are the great mathematicians who believed in a deity? Does numerology lead anywhere when applied to sacred literature? Pickover covers these and many other off-trail topics with his usual verve, humor, and clarity. And along the way the reader will learn a great deal of serious mathematics.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Martin Gardner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/as-far-as-i-know-clifford-pickover-is-the-first-mathematician-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Areas"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/as-far-as-i-know-clifford-pickover-is-the-first-mathematician-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/martin-gardner-15175_areas_as-far-as-i-know-clifford-pickover-is-th_2085902.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/martin-gardner-15175_areas_as-far-as-i-know-clifford-pickover-is-th_2085902.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/martin-gardner-15175_areas_as-far-as-i-know-clifford-pickover-is-th_2085902.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As far as I know, Clifford Pickover is the first mathematician to write a book about areas where math and…” — Martin Gardner",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Martin Gardner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "As far as I know, Clifford...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/as-far-as-i-know-clifford-pickover-is-the-first-mathematician-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/as-far-as-i-know-clifford-pickover-is-the-first-mathematician-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
