About
Martin Gardner was a prolific American writer, best known for his 'Mathematical Games' column in Scientific American from 1956 to 1981, which popularized recreational mathematics and concepts like Conway's Game of Life, Penrose tiles, and flexagons. Author of over 60 books, he was a key figure in the skeptical movement with 'Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science' (1952) and edited annotated classics, including 'The Annotated Alice' (1960). A philosophy graduate from the University of Chicago, he never took a college-level mathematics course. He was also an amateur magician and a founding fellow of CSICOP.
* 1914-10-21 — † 2010-05-22
Major works
- Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science (1952)nonfiction
- The Annotated Alice (1960)annotated edition
- Mathematical Games (column) (1956-1981)column
- Undiluted Hocus-Pocus (2013)autobiography
Key milestones
- 1936Earned a BA in philosophy from the University of Chicago.
- 1956Began his 'Mathematical Games' column in Scientific American.
- 1987Received the American Mathematical Society's Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition.
Themes
Recreational mathematicsSkepticismPseudoscienceMagicAnnotated literature
Sources: news.uchicago.edu · centerforinquiry.org · blogs.scientificamerican.com