previous installment is here
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Back on Earth
Ord spent many years on Earth and going back there has a tremendous sentimental value.
After the arrival he seeks out his friend Thur Ent.
"I am here on a mission," he announces almost immediately, "and I need your help."
Thurs sips tea in his dressing gown and mulls over the answer.
"How can I help?" he utters eventually.
"Well," Ord explains, "I would like you to become a rotator in the Mathematics Unit of the Government Science Agency."
"What?" Thur is beyond himself, "I am not a mathematician."
"So?" Ord is not easily persuaded, "It is a matter of life and death. You have a record of performing splendidly in such situations."
Thur swallows the complement and seems to accept his fate.
"Will they hire me?" he asks with a doubt in his voice.
"I think so," answers Ord, "they just started one of their broadening participation programs called "What You See Is What You Get"."
"Am I WYSIWYG?" ponders Thur.
Ord glances at him and says, "There is a guy there who has something in common with you. Seek him out, I am sure he will help you to get in. His name is Mek."
"What is that we have in common?" Thur asks curiously.
Ord pauses briefly as if he was unsure if this question should be answered at all, and then says, "You both do not know how to tie your shoe-laces."
Fresh blood
The first round of funding for the WYSIWYG projects is out the door. In parallel, the lookout for a Program Commander Inutilis is gathering speed as well. One of the first interviews is with Thur Ent, a fellow brought by Mek.
The Program Commanders assemble in a large conference room and are joined by Thur who is dressed in a tweed jacket and has a portable tea cup in his hand. Tor chairs the meeting and after a round of introductions, he follows with a list of scripted questions
"Why are you interested in being a Rotating Program Commander in The Mathematics Unit?" is the first question.
Thur sips his tea and says, "Good question. How would you answer it?"
"You work with really nice colleagues," answers Nna.
"You have a view of what is going on in mathematics," says Dy,
"Every day you make important funding decisions," throws in Tor.
"I could not agree more," is Thur's final answer.
"Are there any particular programs that you are interested in?" Tor asks his second question.
There is a bit of awkward silence but the Program Commanders step in.
"We have a nice selection of workforce programs," Man throws in.
"And of course all the disciplinary programs," adds Mek.
"And the Mathematics Centers program," reminds Nna, "as well as many interactions with other units."
"I like all your programs," answers Thur after a thoughtful pause.
"Do you have any administrative experience?" Tor continues.
"Did you have such experience when you came here?" Thur swiftly returns the volley.
"I was a associate chair of a math department," says Uce.
"And I was an executive in the Society of Mathematicians," someone adds.
"I was working in math publishing," another voice comes through.
"Very impressive," Thur summarizes, "I gather my own background is comparable."
The next day the Program Commanders meet to discuss Thur's application.
"He came really well prepared," says Dy.
"Nailed all the answers," adds Man.
"He really did his homework," concludes Mek, and by acclamation they decide to hire Thur in the Government Science Agency.
Core dump
"I probed Lander," says Zaph happily to Ord, "big head but full of junk."
"It figures," Ord is not surprised, "but what do you think about math?"
"The best stuff they ever came up with," Zaph seems genuinely impressed, "but they do not seem to appreciate it much."
"It is a smoke screen. And also," Ord explains, "people who are good at it are often assholes."
"Anyway," Zaph continues, "do we really need all of it?"
"Of course not," Ord replies, "but the stuff grows exponentially so it is a zero-one game. We have to get it all."
"But Lander had an agreement with Sas and he insists that we leave statistics behind. Isn't it risky?" Zaph inquires.
"Not at all," Ord rolls his eyes,
"So what is it that we really need?" Zaph asks with curiosity, "this stuff is quite different than ours."
"We do not care about what it is that they discovered," explains Ord, "it is all about the capacity to understand. Without math they will be just like any other living thing."
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Back on Earth
Ord spent many years on Earth and going back there has a tremendous sentimental value.
After the arrival he seeks out his friend Thur Ent.
"I am here on a mission," he announces almost immediately, "and I need your help."
Thurs sips tea in his dressing gown and mulls over the answer.
"How can I help?" he utters eventually.
"Well," Ord explains, "I would like you to become a rotator in the Mathematics Unit of the Government Science Agency."
"What?" Thur is beyond himself, "I am not a mathematician."
"So?" Ord is not easily persuaded, "It is a matter of life and death. You have a record of performing splendidly in such situations."
Thur swallows the complement and seems to accept his fate.
"Will they hire me?" he asks with a doubt in his voice.
"I think so," answers Ord, "they just started one of their broadening participation programs called "What You See Is What You Get"."
"Am I WYSIWYG?" ponders Thur.
Ord glances at him and says, "There is a guy there who has something in common with you. Seek him out, I am sure he will help you to get in. His name is Mek."
"What is that we have in common?" Thur asks curiously.
Ord pauses briefly as if he was unsure if this question should be answered at all, and then says, "You both do not know how to tie your shoe-laces."
Fresh blood
The first round of funding for the WYSIWYG projects is out the door. In parallel, the lookout for a Program Commander Inutilis is gathering speed as well. One of the first interviews is with Thur Ent, a fellow brought by Mek.
The Program Commanders assemble in a large conference room and are joined by Thur who is dressed in a tweed jacket and has a portable tea cup in his hand. Tor chairs the meeting and after a round of introductions, he follows with a list of scripted questions
"Why are you interested in being a Rotating Program Commander in The Mathematics Unit?" is the first question.
Thur sips his tea and says, "Good question. How would you answer it?"
"You work with really nice colleagues," answers Nna.
"You have a view of what is going on in mathematics," says Dy,
"Every day you make important funding decisions," throws in Tor.
"I could not agree more," is Thur's final answer.
"Are there any particular programs that you are interested in?" Tor asks his second question.
There is a bit of awkward silence but the Program Commanders step in.
"We have a nice selection of workforce programs," Man throws in.
"And of course all the disciplinary programs," adds Mek.
"And the Mathematics Centers program," reminds Nna, "as well as many interactions with other units."
"I like all your programs," answers Thur after a thoughtful pause.
"Do you have any administrative experience?" Tor continues.
"Did you have such experience when you came here?" Thur swiftly returns the volley.
"I was a associate chair of a math department," says Uce.
"And I was an executive in the Society of Mathematicians," someone adds.
"I was working in math publishing," another voice comes through.
"Very impressive," Thur summarizes, "I gather my own background is comparable."
The next day the Program Commanders meet to discuss Thur's application.
"He came really well prepared," says Dy.
"Nailed all the answers," adds Man.
"He really did his homework," concludes Mek, and by acclamation they decide to hire Thur in the Government Science Agency.
Core dump
"I probed Lander," says Zaph happily to Ord, "big head but full of junk."
"It figures," Ord is not surprised, "but what do you think about math?"
"The best stuff they ever came up with," Zaph seems genuinely impressed, "but they do not seem to appreciate it much."
"It is a smoke screen. And also," Ord explains, "people who are good at it are often assholes."
"Anyway," Zaph continues, "do we really need all of it?"
"Of course not," Ord replies, "but the stuff grows exponentially so it is a zero-one game. We have to get it all."
"But Lander had an agreement with Sas and he insists that we leave statistics behind. Isn't it risky?" Zaph inquires.
"Not at all," Ord rolls his eyes,
"So what is it that we really need?" Zaph asks with curiosity, "this stuff is quite different than ours."
"We do not care about what it is that they discovered," explains Ord, "it is all about the capacity to understand. Without math they will be just like any other living thing."
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