Terence Tao: math is leaving its romantic 'age of heroes' for an industrial era
haider1 · x · 2026-10-16
Mathematician Terence Tao says we're seeing "the end of the romantic era of mathematics, the age of heroes," as the field moves into an "industrial era" where math becomes large-scale and is done in big teams like the other sciences. He frames the shift as reluctant but inevitable: exciting new things become possible while some things are being lost.
Related event: Terence Tao: Mathematics Is Leaving Its Heroic Era for an Industrial Age(2 posts)→
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