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Mathematicians Push Back Against the NSA

Posted by samzenpus on from the stop-adding-to-the-problem dept.

First time accepted submitter Parseval (3632761) writes "The NSA and GCHQ need mathematicians in order to function — they are some of the biggest employers of mathematicians in the world. This New Scientist article by a mathematician describes some of the math behind mass surveillance, and calls on other mathematicians to refuse to cooperate with the NSA/GCHQ while they continue to surveil the entire population. From the article: 'Mathematicians seldom face ethical questions. We enjoy the feeling that what we do is separate from the everyday world. As the number theorist G. H. Hardy wrote in 1940: "I have never done anything 'useful'. No discovery of mine has made, or is likely to make, directly or indirectly, for good or ill, the least difference to the amenity of the world." That idea is now untenable. Mathematics clearly has practical applications that are highly relevant to the modern world, not least internet encryption.'"

3 of 233 comments (clear)

  1. Re:My job interview with the NSA didn't go well at by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    For those who aren't aware, this is a quote from the movie "Good Will Hunting".

  2. Re:My job interview with the NSA didn't go well at by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Really? 5, Interesting for simply Quoting Good Will Hunting without giving credit?

  3. Re:My job interview with the NSA didn't go well at by cold+fjord · · Score: 0, Redundant

    The quote is from Good Will Hunting, a great movie. The problem is the polemic in the quote is a load Chomsky inspired of bull.

    --
    much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell