Martin Gardner, 1914 – 2010

A legend has passed away last week: Martin Gardner, arguably the inventor of the term “recreational mathematics” and columnist for Scientific American for almost 30 years.

Here are tributes to Gardner at Discover Magazine, Scientific American, and also some thoughts by Richard Dawkins. I find it interesting that Gardner is remembered for his skepticism; I wonder how many people praising him for it are also true believers in the Singularity? (a concept ever deserving of Gardner’s critique, if there ever was one. My skepticism on Singularity is a matter of record).