Are all mathematicians geeks?

By Mark O’Neill

I had to laugh at this one because to me, being viewed as a geek is probably not the only reason people don’t continue to study mathematics. I didn’t continue it because I sucked at it and my maths teacher begged me to leave her class before I forced her into a mental breakdown.

I have always adhered to the Billy Connolly philosophy when it comes to mathematics. He has always maintained that he has never seen the point of things like algebra and their practical use in the world. He famously told Conan O’Brien that the only two things that a school needs to teach kids today are “how to make money and how to get laid. Nothing else matters”. Conan choked on his coffee and the audience went into an uproar.

So do you agree with the study? Is it hard these days to get people to seriously study mathematics? Does the geek stereotype get in the way?