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The Man Who Tried to Redeem the World with Logic
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The Man Who Tried to Redeem the World with Logic

Amanda Gefter
Nautilus, 2015
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In this bittersweet tale of a boy genius who ran away and became a great scientist, physics writer Amanda Gefter warmly describes Walter Pitts and his pioneering work in the field of cybernetics. The characters are brilliant but relatable – the vulnerable Pitts, the freewheeling Warren McCulloch, and the fatherly Norbert Wiener. Gefter also succeeds in making sense of complex logical problems and the mathematical solutions Pitts undertook. The heartbreaking conclusion is a reminder that falling short of your goal doesn’t necessarily equal failure. getAbstract recommends this powerful vignette to lovers of science and philosophy.

Take-Aways

  • Born in 1923, Walter Pitts was a homeless, high-school dropout and runaway.
  • Pitts impressed many prominent scientists and mathematicians with his genius.
  • His collaboration with philosopher Warren McCulloch resulted in a greater understanding of what human thought is and how machines could, theoretically, think.

About the Author

Amanda Gefter is a physics writer. She wrote Trespassing on Einstein's Lawn: A Father, a Daughter, the Meaning of Nothing and the Beginning of Everything.

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