William Feller (born Vilibald Srećko Feller) (July 7, 1906 – January 14, 1970), was a Croatian-American mathematician specializing in probability theory. He was also the next-door neighbor of Immanuel Velikovsky on Random Road in Princeton.[1] Steven George Krantz, Mathematical apocrypha: stories and anecdotes of mathematicians and the mathematical 2002, Mathematical Association of America, ISBN 0883855399, 214 pages (page 198) It is reported that:
“Feller often interrupted his lectures with little tirades about ancillary topics. He gave these diatribes titles, including “Ghandi was a phoney”, “Velikovsky is not as wrong as you think”, “Statisticians do not know their business,” “ESP is a sinister plot against civilization,” “The smoking and health report is all wrong”, and “The Babylonians knew Fourier Analysis”.[1]Steven George Krantz, Mathematical apocrypha: stories and anecdotes of mathematicians and the mathematical 2002, Mathematical Association of America, ISBN 0883855399, 214 pages (page 198)
Apparently Velikovsky and Feller:
“.. first met one day when Feller was working in his garden, pruning some bushes. Velikovsky came rushing out of his house screaming, “Stop! You are killing your father!”. The soon became close friends.”[2]Steven George Krantz, Mathematical apocrypha: stories and anecdotes of mathematicians and the mathematical 2002, Mathematical Association of America, ISBN 0883855399, 214 pages (page 198)
External links
- William Feller on Wikipedia
- William Feller on History of Croatian Science
References
| ↑1, ↑2 | Steven George Krantz, Mathematical apocrypha: stories and anecdotes of mathematicians and the mathematical 2002, Mathematical Association of America, ISBN 0883855399, 214 pages (page 198) |
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