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Mathematician Claims New Yorker Defamed Him

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the smile-when-you-say-that dept.

An anonymous reader writes, "Last month the New Yorker ran the article 'Manifold Destiny' (slashdotted here), by Sylvia Nasar, author of 'A Beautiful Mind.' Now a renowned Harvard mathematics professor, Dr. Shing-Tung Yau, is claiming the article defamed him. His attorney wrote the New Yorker a letter (PDF) threatening that Yau will have 'no choice but to consider other options' if Nasar, her co-author, and the New Yorker fail to undo the damage done."

7 of 212 comments (clear)

  1. It could be worse... by InterruptDescriptorT · · Score: 4, Funny

    At least the New Yorker didn't denormal him...

    --
    Karma: Excellent Birds (mostly as a result of listening to Laurie Anderson)
  2. Cool by Anon-Admin · · Score: 5, Funny

    This looks like a well calculated attack and response by a few mathematicians with a lawyer thrown in to check the work.

    Ill give 2:1 odds that the lawyer has checked the proofs and found that the math is wrong because no one else added in the cash coefficient. He will keep the cash for him self and may give a small percentage of the proceeds to the mathematician if the mathematician can figure it out.

  3. I need 10ccs of Dammitol, stat! by spun · · Score: 4, Funny

    Nah, Tom, you just need better drugs, then all this will become completely fascinating. I've found that old coots like us need a high dose of dammitol and gedawfmaielauntin just to get through boring crap like this.

    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
  4. Sounds like paranoia by ishmalius · · Score: 4, Funny
    Parts i, ii, and iii are saying, basically:
    1. Everything you say is all lies
    2. All of the events you quote were staged for the purpose of generating all lies
    3. Everything everyone else says is all lies, or, if it is true, is taken out of context in such a way as to become all lies
    While I, of course, speak only the truth.
  5. Re:sue! by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, mathematically, the probability of winning or getting a large cash settlement must be high. Unless this guy flunked gambling theory. Either way, the lawyer will walk away richer anyway.

  6. Yau is a big jerk! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    In other news, Dr. Yau is suing Slashdot and OSTG for damage done to his reputation by an Anonymous Coward who reportedly stated, "Yau is a big jerk!" in a recent posting.

  7. Just shrug it off by SigmoidCurve · · Score: 4, Funny

    New Yorkers defame me all the time. You just have to build a thick skin to live here, that's all.

    --
    Dictionaries are for loosers.