When you mechanise, you take the "meaning" out of the effort and that, in of itself, is death of human pursuit of the venture.

The industrial revolution did that to battles and wars and it inspired Tolkein's lores to a considerable degree. He loathed what mechanisation had done.

I feel something similar is happening to Mathematics. I shudder to think what would come of other human pursuit this mechanisation targets next.

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amelius 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

For many on HN, mechanising things is the reason of their existence ...

(and I don't even think that is exaggerated very much)

	▲	InfinityByTen an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		No, you're right. I clearly missed reading the room :D But I'm glad how Terence Tao sees it. I was relying him to do that for the NS results as well. I didn't follow through to the PhD, but I spent few years building up to understanding of Fluid Dynamics and Functional Analysis to come close to NS. It's intriguing that it's "solved", but what interests me is then "what do we learn from it" and what lies beyond in non-linearity. In the 10 years I've spent away from academia, I still cherish what Math taught me best: looking at equivalences and I still feel the kick that I surely wouldn't want an Agent to do on my behalf. NS was never the point. And who can't see that I can only feel that they missed out.
	▲	2 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
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dr_dshiv 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Maybe, actually, it will rehumanize math by formulating its ideas in a manner that allow their comprehension without 10-15 years of mechanized practice. The average human might understand quantum mechanics and Maxwell’s equations with the right conceptual interface.

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drstewart 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This. Farming used to be such a rich and meaningful job where you connected with the earth, until machinery came along and ruined it.

I loathe what's happened with agscience, all farms should be plowed by hand with donkeys and plows.

	▲	InfinityByTen an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Maybe they should, you know. Maybe OpenAI is exactly working towards so that we need to do that :) It's fascinating how people like to push any statement to its limits, because it circles around to absurdity and they believe they've made a point. Moderation seems to be chasing you, but you clearly are faster!

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optimalsolver 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Without the mechanization of book production, how many would have read his works?