Martin Gardner (1914–2010)

On 22 May, American author Martin Gardner died at the age of 95. Until his last days, he was active and writing for an eager audience. He is well known for his writing on mathematics, science, philosophy of science, theology, and magic. However, few of his admirers knew the full breadth of his intellectual activities, as most were drawn only to some aspect by their own interest. In contrast to our increasingly specialized world, he was involved in many intellectual spheres. Gardner would be quick to remind us that he was a “journalist.” After getting a B.A. in philosophy at the University of Chicago in 1936, he attended seminary to continue his studies. After a year, he realized that he was training for an academic position, but that his real calling was to be an author. It was a decade before his writing allowed him to earn a decent living. A career in fiction gave way to articles on science, philosophy, and games. A pivotal article was “The Hermit Scientist” ( Antioch Review , 1950) in which Gardner critiqued three examples of pseudoscience that were very much in the news: the wild theories of writer Immanuel Velikovsky proposing Earth's near collision with other planets; the public craze with unidentified flying objects; and the idea of a metaphysical mind-body relationship touted by the science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. Gardner's opinions on these topics led to his book In the Name of Science (1952; retitled Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science in 1957), and its impact increased until the 1970s. Gardner, magician James Randi, and psychologist Ray Hyman decided that a group was needed to address what was then called the “occult explosion,” an alarming escalation of irrationalism in the popular press. Soon they were joined by sociologist Marcello Truzzi and philosopher Paul Kurtz, and the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal was formed. Gardner contributed to their publications regularly for decades, critically examining fringe science and paranormal claims, among other issues. Gardner is often called the founder of the modern skeptical movement. His clearly written articles drew people in, convinced them that there was a problem worth caring about, and showed how simple argumentation could effectively combat unreason. His writing gave a common voice to those who were reluctant to speak out alone. ![Figure][1] CREDIT: THE FAMILY OF MARTIN GARDNER Unlike most authors of nonfiction, Gardner had “fans,” the most ardent ones for his 25 years at Scientific American . His “Mathematical Games” column, started in 1956, became so identified with the magazine that many readers said it was the first thing they turned to in each issue. Judging by public pronouncements, book dedications, and thousands of letters written to Gardner, his influence on the study and enjoyment of mathematics may well be unmatched. Gardner often claimed in interviews that he was unprepared to write a monthly math column, but in fact, he had a lifelong interest in recreational mathematics. Admittedly, his mathematical training was weak, but he said that having to struggle with concepts helped him to write clear explanations. Moreover, he had developed a habit of finding connections between mathematics and the larger world—literature, art, science, philosophy, and magic. This was the secret of the column. He did not make mathematics interesting; he showed that it was interesting. Gardner's first and last publications were in magic journals, from 1930 to 2010. Although never a performer, he was a constant and respected source of ideas for close-up magic, usually impromptu tricks. He contributed articles on tricks, puzzles, illusions, and science to Physics Teacher magazine for 12 years. He also annotated, or introduced, various editions of the works of his favorite authors. The Annotated Alice (1960) on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass was his best-selling book, in which he explained associations with mathematics, clever wordplay, and Victorian history, among other fascinating insights. Gardner's success was due to an extraordinary network of correspondents and his legendary files of information. He was the generous conduit through which ideas flowed, in the magic, math, and pseudoscience communities. His files started in shoe boxes while at college and grew to mammoth proportions. A description of using them, written in 1957, sounds remarkably like a modern description of surfing the Internet. What motivated Martin Gardner? After a decade of soul-searching, in a 1940 interview he articulated a principle he held for the rest of his life (as expressed by writer Lord Dunsany): “Man is a small thing, and the night is large and full of wonder.” After World War II, he studied with philosopher Rudolf Carnap, which led to his essay “Order and Surprise” (1950). It describes the deep sense of wonder that the natural world impresses upon philosophers and scientists. Over the next 60 years, he would return to this theme. He described himself as a “mysterian” because he believed that even though science will continue to resolve problems, behind every mystery there is another vexing mystery. This spurred most of his best writing. He wrote an entire book ( The Ambidextrous Universe ) about the paradoxical discovery of fundamental asymmetries in particle physics. The mathematical essays concentrated on surprises, unexpected connections, and paradoxes. His main goal was to remind us that we are surrounded by wonderful things. His antipathy for pseudoscientists was not just because they were cranks, crackpots, or charlatans. He was furious about those who practiced medical hocus-pocus. But, in my opinion, his motivation was almost aesthetic. He was deeply offended by people offering “ugly” false phenomena and miracles when the natural world was so wonderful. We can honor Martin Gardner by pursuing the mysteries that surround us. [1]: pending:yes