Billionaire Mathematician - Numberphile

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  • čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
  • Full length version of this interview (one hour): • James Simons (full len...
    More links & stuff in full description below ↓↓↓
    More about The Simons Foundation: bit.ly/SimonsFoundation
    James Harris Simons has been described as "the world's smartest billionaire", amassing a fortune through the clever use of mathematics and computers. He is now a renowned philanthropist.
    Chern-Simons paper: bit.ly/ChernSimons
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    Videos by Brady Haran
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Komentáře • 2,7K

  • @joshuanorman2
    @joshuanorman2 Před 5 lety +6376

    boi accidentally kept multiplying his money

  • @JoseHernandez-fk3jz
    @JoseHernandez-fk3jz Před 21 dnem +12

    Rest in Peace, a great mathematician and his contributions to the research mathematics community has been invaluable

  • @jibbiddy
    @jibbiddy Před 4 lety +1587

    "Well this was kind of fun." Power move.

  • @bcfblack
    @bcfblack Před 4 lety +3606

    "I'm pleased mostly with the way my career has gone."
    -multibillionaire

    • @hugostiglitz4215
      @hugostiglitz4215 Před 4 lety +97

      The measure of a man is not how many green pieces of paper they hold, it's who they are as a person

    • @charging7
      @charging7 Před 4 lety +54

      Funny that is your conclusion and you're not alone with almost 400 likes, I don't see his financial worth having anything to do with 'success'. I understand how the money can be a measurement of one's success but it's a poor one at best.

    • @hugostiglitz4215
      @hugostiglitz4215 Před 4 lety +2

      @TheBlondie I would imagine it would be very pleasing to be a CEO making seven figures with a golden parachute. 👑

    • @youraverageidiot6474
      @youraverageidiot6474 Před 3 lety

      Bruh

    • @bcfblack
      @bcfblack Před 3 lety +7

      @@hugostiglitz4215 i didn't say anything about how to measure a man. also, almost none of his money is liquid, no?

  • @arunkumarvikram
    @arunkumarvikram Před 9 lety +5176

    Its extremely rare for this guy to give interviews. I don't know how you guys managed it. Kudos !

    • @Falcrist
      @Falcrist Před 9 lety +50

      ***** I've been subbed to Brady's channels since before there was a numberphile... but not everyone who loves science needs subscribes, or even likes this content.

    • @Falcrist
      @Falcrist Před 9 lety +43

      ***** I know plenty of people who have degrees in STEM fields who don't use youtube in the first place, and plenty more who don't like watching science videos.

    • @Falcrist
      @Falcrist Před 9 lety +13

      ***** The category is "people I know who have degrees in stem fields but don't use youtube or don't like watching these channels."
      To the best of my knowledge, that category does not involve any extraterrestrial aliens... though it does involve quite a few people who aren't US citizens.

    • @Falcrist
      @Falcrist Před 9 lety +3

      *****
      Why, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, of course!

    • @pezaventura
      @pezaventura Před 9 lety +8

      ***** yep, Numberphile, computerphile are way better than any other popsci channels

  • @MD.fitness.1
    @MD.fitness.1 Před 4 lety +1878

    Nick Simons institute (named after his son who sadly passed away) has done a lot in for upliftment of rural healthcare here in Nepal. Thank you sir :)

  • @Rohit-oz1or
    @Rohit-oz1or Před 4 lety +459

    He liked the interview because the interviewer was genuinely interested in his life and motivations, and not on the lookout for the next trade idea.

    • @1xtra299
      @1xtra299 Před 2 lety +17

      Additionally, it wasn't really about money. It was more about math.

    • @theyredistortingyourrhythm.
      @theyredistortingyourrhythm. Před 2 lety +2

      Who's AWAKE in 2021?

    • @Dibat24
      @Dibat24 Před 3 měsíci +2

      23😂 ​@@theyredistortingyourrhythm.

    • @blackcitadel37
      @blackcitadel37 Před 2 měsíci

      @@theyredistortingyourrhythm. take your pills

  • @jonathancarey6082
    @jonathancarey6082 Před 4 lety +1290

    "Well, this was mostly fun."
    That sounds like a mathematician after mild socialization lol

    • @somestingyontheinternet683
      @somestingyontheinternet683 Před 3 lety +26

      14 Billion dollars, a fairly pleasant experience wouldn't you say?

    • @God-gi9iu
      @God-gi9iu Před 3 lety +1

      O

    • @tim40gabby25
      @tim40gabby25 Před 2 lety +25

      ".. kinda fun", in fact.

    • @refilwempanzori
      @refilwempanzori Před 2 lety +3

      2 of my siblings are mathematicians and this is accurate 😂😂😂😂

    • @ty6339
      @ty6339 Před 2 lety

      The interview is has the attribute "fun" almoat everywhere.

  • @jaredfocose2048
    @jaredfocose2048 Před 8 lety +2520

    I like how he always takes a moment to judge the quality of the question being asked before answering it :)
    "That's an interesting question."

    • @AmericazGotTalentYT
      @AmericazGotTalentYT Před 7 lety +131

      "next question"

    • @thisrocks
      @thisrocks Před 7 lety +18

      AmericazGotTalentYT I liked your comment but realised I took the like count over 7 so took it off. Here's a comment like.

    • @abz4852
      @abz4852 Před 6 lety +2

      your comment has 7 likes for a year please leave it like this

    • @corbeau-_-
      @corbeau-_- Před 5 lety +4

      abdullah yakub you jinxed it -.-

    • @allknowledge7146
      @allknowledge7146 Před 5 lety +13

      He probably has an extremely deep analytical ability.

  • @rammetin99
    @rammetin99 Před 9 lety +2188

    haha loved the ending statement "well this was kinda fun "

    • @acediamond5399
      @acediamond5399 Před 9 lety +56

      Ramtin Javanmardi Hah! Yeah. This guy is kinda great.

    • @acediamond5399
      @acediamond5399 Před 9 lety +9

      Ace Diamond Also, how did I give this comment its 200th thumbs up, yet only the 1st reply?

    • @Falcrist
      @Falcrist Před 9 lety +9

      Ramtin Javanmardi It's quite the contrast from John Conway, who clearly didn't want to be there.

    • @Vulcapyro
      @Vulcapyro Před 9 lety +113

      Ramtin Javanmardi To be honest, Brady gave pretty spectacular questions here. He didn't seem to be expecting many of the questions Brady threw at him so he probably enjoyed the talk more than he thought he would.

    • @rammetin99
      @rammetin99 Před 9 lety +7

      Vulcapyro indeed that is the same impression I had :D A truly excellent interview!

  • @alk555
    @alk555 Před 4 lety +576

    Simons makes his point with the analogy: "...you may have great film equipment, but that's not why you're a success..."
    Meanwhile the camera guy screws up the shot.

  • @B15HOP
    @B15HOP Před 4 lety +983

    He's like the architect from The Matrix.

  • @BeatPoet67
    @BeatPoet67 Před 6 lety +502

    What a remarkably grounded man. I loved his reaction to "would you trade the business for the Reimann hypothesis?" He kind of lit up - "well I'd trade some of it!"

    • @CraigMansfield
      @CraigMansfield Před 4 lety +61

      He totally came alive :D
      Ohhh the Reimann hypothesis?
      I watched his eyes, they immediately darted down - automatically considering, then he looked away. Interesting body language. I think it made a welcome change to the constant interest in his money.

    • @magtovi
      @magtovi Před 4 lety +43

      All the prestige, the immortality of his name flashed before his eyes in a second...
      And still, in the end, he wouldn't have traded in all his hard work and the resulting billions that came out from it.

    • @chijanai
      @chijanai Před 2 lety +2

      Riemann

    • @SumeriyaYaxlaka
      @SumeriyaYaxlaka Před 3 měsíci +1

      No billy is grounded in any sense of the word but this one comes pretty close😅

  • @campanmarius5241
    @campanmarius5241 Před 9 lety +599

    I love this interview ! This is how every interview should be conducted.
    No interrruptions, clear questions, clear answers.

  • @edwardmclaughlin7935
    @edwardmclaughlin7935 Před 2 lety +68

    Aside from all his core achievement: what an incredible timbre to his speaking voice.

    • @n5yiz
      @n5yiz Před 2 lety +10

      Just start smoking two-packs a day, you'll be there in no time.

    • @flippedpickle1509
      @flippedpickle1509 Před 2 lety +1

      His voice and accent reminded me of how Humphrey Bogart sounds.

  • @JuanGarcia-zy8yw
    @JuanGarcia-zy8yw Před 5 lety +471

    just like most motivational speakers,philosophers, life coaches, and authors like napoleaon hill have said " the only thing you have to do is decide what you want to do. knowing how or the specifics of the goal is irrelevant, those aspects will unfold as you progress". this man said" I always knew I wanted to be a mathematician , whatever that meant"...

    • @cesarforte617
      @cesarforte617 Před 4 lety

      True

    • @Scottsummers95
      @Scottsummers95 Před 4 lety

      Reed Morris which was?

    • @t6hp
      @t6hp Před 2 lety

      That's a very interesting concept. Most people I know aren't like that. They simply see the best thing that suits them and go for it

    • @PickyMcCritical
      @PickyMcCritical Před 2 lety

      disagree

    • @DexterHaven
      @DexterHaven Před 2 lety

      Yes, James Deen said he knew he wanted to be an adult-film star as a young kid too.

  • @agent45267
    @agent45267 Před 9 lety +3056

    I'm another boy who dreams of being a baseball.

    • @Utsavbajra
      @Utsavbajra Před 9 lety +159

      Pretty sure you're the only one who dreams of being a "baseball".

    • @jakedowman-french3205
      @jakedowman-french3205 Před 9 lety +123

      Utsavbajra He isn't.

    • @ten.seconds
      @ten.seconds Před 9 lety +122

      Utsavbajra When I was small I dreamed of being a shuttlecock

    • @SalamandraTheNinja
      @SalamandraTheNinja Před 9 lety +31

      agent45267 I'm gonna be a blitzball when I grow up!

    • @felixdakat734
      @felixdakat734 Před 9 lety +10

      When I grow up I want to be a steam shovel!

  • @marlonborreo
    @marlonborreo Před 5 lety +426

    Love this interview. Never heard of the interviewee beforehand, never heard of the interviewer before. But I love how the ideas just flowed. I love how the interviewee wasn't interrupted. And I love the quality of the questions. really learned a lot about the guy after watching this. 18 minutes spent really well.

    • @oaflet
      @oaflet Před 4 lety +10

      You had me at liking/loving
      ► how the interviewee wasn't interrupted.
      I've trashed a few walls, putting my fist or forehead(*) through them, when BBC and NPR (among others) said
      "I'm afraid we're out of time"
      just as substance reared its head. Particularly when the first part of said interview reviewed the interviewee's university's football team.
      ________
      (*) Both beyond repair.

    • @cthompson0531
      @cthompson0531 Před 4 lety +9

      He's a genius, but also seems like a cool guy you could have a pint with at the pub while you integrate polynomials

    • @Trenacetate43
      @Trenacetate43 Před 3 lety +1

      The interviewer had no clue about the capital markets or mathematics, as a chemical engineering graduate and a trader, if I were the interviewer I'd ask him so many quality questions

    • @onlyhalo2559
      @onlyhalo2559 Před 2 lety +18

      @@Trenacetate43 r/iamverysmart

    • @Mystery_Biscuits
      @Mystery_Biscuits Před 11 měsíci

      @@oafletbro really put a footnote in a CZcams comment

  • @PaulMarostica
    @PaulMarostica Před 5 lety +510

    It’s wonderful to learn that, for once, a theory scientist actually earned what their work was worth.

    • @benjaminchenevey7967
      @benjaminchenevey7967 Před 2 lety +54

      He didn't. He made all of his money in a completely different field. The work he has done in the field he is in becomes completely useless if it were to be made public, as well, which is completely different from his work as a mathematician.

    • @tyler7992
      @tyler7992 Před 2 lety +10

      King Pistachion cry about it

    • @jowbloe4700
      @jowbloe4700 Před 2 lety +1

      That's Hypothetical

    • @j4k3z
      @j4k3z Před 2 lety

      Man, what a seriously important point that is.

    • @thepurplepanda4
      @thepurplepanda4 Před rokem +2

      @@benjaminchenevey7967 Working as a mathematician in theory is just as much so as working as a mathematician in application. Mathematics is a system you carry with you, not something that is fundamentally binary.

  • @rjung_ch
    @rjung_ch Před rokem +5

    At the end, "This was kind of fun". A humble guy and still alive in 2023! All the best Mr. Simons.

  • @LearnPhilosophistry
    @LearnPhilosophistry Před 9 lety +274

    Absolutely astounding you guys got a James Simons interview. He's well known for never giving interviews, despite the fact that so many people find him fascinating.

  • @shaynewilliams4482
    @shaynewilliams4482 Před 6 lety +1434

    who's favorite part of the video was when he said "with MY money......but nonetheless"

    • @juicelee3948
      @juicelee3948 Před 4 lety +6

      Shayne Williams hilarious 😂

    • @cullenl2508
      @cullenl2508 Před 4 lety +41

      @Markus Patients it had to be said

    • @djclgrant7335
      @djclgrant7335 Před 4 lety +37

      @Markus Patients agreed. I think it was my least favourite part of the interview.

    • @jwalker6260
      @jwalker6260 Před 4 lety +18

      How big does an ego need to be to need billions?

    • @greytoeimp
      @greytoeimp Před 4 lety +1

      who is? english education ain't great either, i think

  • @thagodwidin9167
    @thagodwidin9167 Před 5 lety +15

    I used to serve this guy in Stony Brook university at the Simon center. Very down to earth and was the only one allowed to smoke indoors because he owned the place lol. Highly intelligent. Always hanging out with other mathematicians.

  • @paulorasantos
    @paulorasantos Před 5 lety +895

    Amazing... I didn't know Obi Wan Kenobi was a mathematician.

    • @raymeester7883
      @raymeester7883 Před 4 lety +22

      *The Architect.

    • @saumitragautam8333
      @saumitragautam8333 Před 4 lety +20

      May the 4s be with you.

    • @hugoclarke3284
      @hugoclarke3284 Před 3 lety

      "...but they'll soon be back, and in greater numbers"

    • @arun-it9gr
      @arun-it9gr Před 2 lety +1

      Jedis are portrayed as warriors more than monks, for obvious cinematic reasons, but they would have to have atleast a top undergraduate level of maths..

    • @steelsteez6118
      @steelsteez6118 Před 2 lety

      @@saumitragautam8333 😂👍

  • @criskity
    @criskity Před 9 lety +428

    "Chern" - It is actually Chen, but using a bizarre Chinese romanization system called "Gwoyeu Romatzyh" that was briefly popular in Taiwan.

    • @zuzusuperfly8363
      @zuzusuperfly8363 Před 9 lety +157

      CNVideos Woah, dropping some dank knowledge.

    • @thoperSought
      @thoperSought Před 9 lety +9

      CNVideos
      that's amazing

    • @shipper66
      @shipper66 Před 9 lety +8

      CNVideos fcking wikipedia monster u are !

    • @Hollyweed1
      @Hollyweed1 Před 9 lety +3

      CNVideos wooow what was that!!!

    • @thoperSought
      @thoperSought Před 8 lety +4

      *****
      no, if the guy romanized his name as "chern," then everybody speaking English will have pronounced it with the 'r,' it's not a matter of not knowing how to pronounce it.
      you get the same thing with Japanese: people often romanize things that should be (for example) "chi" as "ti," or "tsu" as "tu," because that's the fastest way to type it on a Japanese computer. it doesn't remotely give English speakers the right idea, and so they scratch their heads about why people pronounce it weird, but often just accept it.
      the fact that it doesn't match Japanese is sort of beside the point by then-that becomes how people pronounce it, and (in the case of names) may be how they introduce themselves when speaking English.

  • @jassandhar9442
    @jassandhar9442 Před 9 lety +727

    Brady (and filming crew), I would like to thank you for the amazing amount of effort and quality you put forth in these videos. The work you are doing on this channel and others (Objectivity is purely awesome) is inspiring and I believe will inspire the youth to pursuit knowledge and understanding.

    • @adil1815
      @adil1815 Před 7 lety +6

      Jas Sandhar I'm 15 and Brady's channels and it's collaborators inspire me

    • @NoobieDoobieDo
      @NoobieDoobieDo Před 6 lety +3

      This interview and camera work was terrible. Dont thank them for anything. He dressed like he was going to walmart and asked boring and borderline rude questions.

    • @bradypeterson3428
      @bradypeterson3428 Před 6 lety +2

      Thanks

    • @xiangdeng1441
      @xiangdeng1441 Před 6 lety

      my thoughts exactly

  • @kylebroussard5952
    @kylebroussard5952 Před 4 lety +305

    "The computer does what you tell it to do. It's just a tool."
    Yerp.

    • @greenarchipelago7
      @greenarchipelago7 Před 4 lety +34

      Exactly what I tell people about calculators. Many people who haven't learned much math past high school algebra like to think that you can just punch anything in a calculator and it'll spit out the correct answer. VERY wrong. The calculator only knows what you tell it to do. The operator must understand the math he uses the calculator for.

    • @iwontreplybacklol7481
      @iwontreplybacklol7481 Před 4 lety +13

      Till it becomes the terminator

    • @dielaughing73
      @dielaughing73 Před 3 lety +6

      Garbage in, garbage out

    • @wojciechkowcz5303
      @wojciechkowcz5303 Před 3 lety +2

      Thank capt. obvious

    • @Mr35diamonds
      @Mr35diamonds Před 2 lety +3

      Tyler Traylor this reminds me of a time in high school where little kids thought the high schoolers were cheating cus they were using calculators for a homework problem 😂😂

  • @jnicholson79jn
    @jnicholson79jn Před 2 lety +7

    This man has the most natural and (almost oddly) unalarming air of confidence to him. And I feel like he's earned that confidence.

  • @bryansfistfulofwood4620
    @bryansfistfulofwood4620 Před 7 lety +397

    "We'll I'd probably trade some of it." As spoken by a true businessman.

    • @Johnny-cz2wv
      @Johnny-cz2wv Před 5 lety +10

      No, the way he answered the questions was an indication to how he weighed his responses.. Because he's trained to do so in the marketplace.

    • @tomm5765
      @tomm5765 Před 5 lety +1

      @@Johnny-cz2wv both right

    • @agradman
      @agradman Před 4 lety +3

      This was my favorite line

    • @sepg5084
      @sepg5084 Před 4 lety +3

      don't put your eggs in one basket

    • @paulgoogol2652
      @paulgoogol2652 Před 4 lety

      You wouldn't go to the grocery and give all your savings for sliced bread either, or would you?

  • @WheatleyOS
    @WheatleyOS Před 8 lety +860

    14 billion dollar mathematician: favorite number "7... next question" XD

  • @Kevin-ql7dn
    @Kevin-ql7dn Před 2 lety +5

    He couldn’t be more spot on about the quality of math education

  • @marcuscicero9587
    @marcuscicero9587 Před 5 lety +4

    what an accomplished man. anything but snoody and very understandable in his conversation. I like people like this.

  • @OwenPrescott
    @OwenPrescott Před 9 lety +531

    Reminds me of the Architect from the Matrix.

    • @wasikhan7741
      @wasikhan7741 Před 5 lety +10

      so true!!!!!

    • @rubyjoy9752
      @rubyjoy9752 Před 5 lety +1

      No....

    • @eprjct
      @eprjct Před 5 lety +1

      Damn, I can go back after reading your comment!

    • @dvd11811
      @dvd11811 Před 5 lety +7

      Hope, It is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength and greatest weakness.

    • @antoniosantiago22
      @antoniosantiago22 Před 5 lety

      Beat me to the punch

  • @nico_rico3185
    @nico_rico3185 Před 9 lety +1123

    Haha, I love him. "Well this was kind of fun."

    • @smonyboy
      @smonyboy Před 6 lety +23

      nicko_rico
      He was being sarcastic..

    • @sdrachid13
      @sdrachid13 Před 6 lety +2

      Slightly

    • @4notron
      @4notron Před 6 lety +37

      He was not being sarcastic in the slightest..... But, who is John G.A.L.T.?

    • @luckyvet
      @luckyvet Před 6 lety +2

      Sarcastic, he'd rather be doing math.

    • @JorgetePanete
      @JorgetePanete Před 5 lety

      nico_rico well,*

  • @DX-oq6lh
    @DX-oq6lh Před 5 lety +6

    This was incredible. Probably one of my favourite interviews I've ever seen. Fascinating and well spoken guy

  • @gerbaldo90
    @gerbaldo90 Před 3 lety +2

    What a fascinating man. I've honestly never seen so many brilliant people until I've subscribed to this channel. Great work!

  • @wadap0
    @wadap0 Před 5 lety +13

    That was a very good assessment from the interviewee. He said "that's an interesting question" on several occasions, and at the end said, "well this was kind of fun". So well done, you did a great job from his point of view, which is very important!

  • @SenorDevin
    @SenorDevin Před 9 lety +609

    Oh wow. Starting at 15:00, Mr. Simons says exactly how I feel about wanting to become a math teacher. I was a student that never really had a strong grasp on mathematical concepts, in fact I failed two of my math classes my freshman year of college. Now however I am getting A's on my tests and am absolutely in love with math. I want to get my master's after I complete my undergrad and hopefully work towards a PhD if life goes that way. I want people to never have to struggle like I did. I had some bad teachers that made me hate math, and I don't think it's fair that students get the bottom of the barrel when it comes to math and science teachers in high school. We need to push math and science more and more in the future, and the only way to get the future generations interested is by having teachers that truly have a passion for students to learn. If that means that my pay check is not as big as my colleagues, then so be it. If and when I see my future students become billionaires like Mr. Simons, I will smile to myself and be proud.

    • @ho2sorellestupide
      @ho2sorellestupide Před 9 lety +3

      SenorDevin how did you do that? how? please help me...

    • @StyxTBuferd
      @StyxTBuferd Před 9 lety +16

      SenorDevin That's an incredibly noble story. I would push on that and ask exactly what you think math teachers should do to show that they have a passion for their students to learn. I'm graduating in a little over a year and I've learned a lot in that time, and am still learning. I gotta tell you, it's not just about knowing the math. It's about how we teach it, and how we keep students engaged in a meaningful, real-world kind of way.

    • @TopLel123
      @TopLel123 Před 9 lety

      SenorDevin How did you do it?

    • @manla8397
      @manla8397 Před 9 lety +4

      Well said. I had similar wish to become a great scientist from secondary school and still had similar idea when I finished my phd. I thought money is not important; knowledge is my world and I enjoyed it and I still enjoy it. However. I met my girlfriend, now my wife. I need to get into the real world and earn some money to support my family, and made a decision not to worry about research funding any more..

    • @zuzusuperfly8363
      @zuzusuperfly8363 Před 9 lety +10

      SenorDevin My dream is to build an online infrastructure for youth so that math and science becomes a really enjoyable way of spending some of your time on the internet. A kind of modern forum/social network with great videos, software, and simulations that make total use of current technology and that also presents knowledge from upper year undergraduate courses that's really hard to find outside of expensive textbooks. The dream is that most students will have an understanding of math and science that is always ahead of their current school year, so they never have to see anything for the first time in school. They just show up, learn about what they're going to be expected to know for the exams during ordinary class, and then take the test to prove their competence in a way that society has always seen as legitimate. The school experience won't define their personal relationship with the subjects. The enthusiasm people have for these things in the public space is far better suited for packaging information for consumption than an underpaid teacher. Hopefully one day I'll be effective at channeling some of that enthusiasm.

  • @saiprashanth2400
    @saiprashanth2400 Před 4 lety +43

    12:43 His eyes lights up on hearing the question. Btw it was a great question ask a mathematician. He would be that he would immortalized if he does something like that.

  • @pranayvenkatesh8815
    @pranayvenkatesh8815 Před 5 lety +16

    Great interview. Many journalists should learn from this: no hostility, and the other side feels very comfortable. Simons was also very nice and humble. A gem of a video to watch.

  • @weallareearthling
    @weallareearthling Před 6 lety +389

    "with my money,but nonetheless ". :D there is some ouch.haha

    • @keagan2509
      @keagan2509 Před 5 lety +12

      yeah lol. big oof

    • @henryguitarhero
      @henryguitarhero Před 5 lety +2

      if he has $14 billion it wouldnt even make a dent

    • @khalidsyoung
      @khalidsyoung Před 4 lety +2

      @@henryguitarhero he didn't have 14b in 1994 , but was very wealthy of course based off his own skills and the people he surrounded his self with

    • @jinjunliu2401
      @jinjunliu2401 Před 4 lety +1

      @@henryguitarhero personal worth (according to forbes) isn't the same as how much money someone has (available)

  • @aakaditya
    @aakaditya Před 8 lety +3

    Awesome interview. you asked so many questions that nobody else would ask. thank you.

  • @CarpeDiemTomorrow
    @CarpeDiemTomorrow Před 5 lety +9

    As others have mentioned, this was a tremendous interview. Excellent work on the video edits. Thank you!

  • @Mr.Tiger.2013
    @Mr.Tiger.2013 Před 5 lety +21

    One of those rare people on earth, we need more!

  • @PandamoniumShorts
    @PandamoniumShorts Před 9 lety +3

    Thank you! Been a subscriber for at least a year now, and coming from someone who is not strong in math, has no pull or "draw" to study maths in the future - I have to say this is a very interesting outlet I can spend an hour or so every now and then to absorb this part of life Ill never get to experience.
    So please don't stop! Great channel.

  • @2gofar57
    @2gofar57 Před 7 lety +6

    Thanks to the creators of Numberphile for coming up with amazing content about mathematics and featuring great people in this field!

  • @majidmohammed3375
    @majidmohammed3375 Před 2 lety

    Excellent Interview. Kudos to the interviewer - his style and substance is top notch. Thx for uploading!!!

  • @Paul-yu4ep
    @Paul-yu4ep Před 4 lety

    Great talk, I liked how open and thoughtful he was.

  • @gasdive
    @gasdive Před 9 lety +889

    None of my High School maths teachers could have worked for google. Not unless the job at google was to read aloud from a book that they didn't understand.

    • @ultimaetsolder
      @ultimaetsolder Před 9 lety +16

      Very true. Agree with this 100%

    • @gasdive
      @gasdive Před 9 lety +42

      "30-40 years ago if you knew some mathematics, say enough to teach lets say at high school... but today if you know that much mathematics [ie, enough to get a job teaching high school] you can get a job at Google, you can get a job at IBM, you can get a job at Goldman Sachs."
      30-40 years ago *was* when I was enduring mathematics at high school. My teachers "knew enough to teach...at high school" back then but if you teleported them to today they wouldn't get a job at Google, IBM or Goldman Sachs. Unless, as I said, the job at the high tech company involved reading a book they didn't understand out loud. They weren't quite innumerate but the weren't a long stretch from being such. Any questions or requests for clarification of a point just resulted in them reading the text book out loud a second time. I learnt pretty early on that if I didn't get it from reading the text myself, I wasn't going to get any help from them.

    • @Aaku13
      @Aaku13 Před 9 lety +23

      gasdive you probably didn't take very high math then. in Calc and stats my teachers were brilliant, whereas the lesser maths were just book regurgitation as calc and stats is a bitch to teach if you don't know the material.

    • @007doyley
      @007doyley Před 9 lety +14

      I don't know how it is in the US, but I am currently a sixth form student in the UK studying maths and f. Maths, and my teachers consist of someone with a theoretical physics degree, and someone who did work for someone like IBM (programming algorithms) back in the 80s, so I would say my teachers certainly could get higher paying jobs.

    • @JamesMichaelDoyle
      @JamesMichaelDoyle Před 9 lety

      ***** absolutely wrong in regards the USA and Canada.

  • @halwestm3767
    @halwestm3767 Před 9 lety +3

    Loved the video. Thank your for bringing this to us Brady and thanks to Dr. Simons for doing the interview.

  • @0000_official
    @0000_official Před 5 lety +92

    “People work for a combination of money and respect” - I think that’s one of the most profound insights I’ve heard one taking in what work means for people. Work is one of the most important pillars of life... and here we have such a simple and profound conclusions about it.

    • @paulmetdebbie447
      @paulmetdebbie447 Před 3 lety +5

      Yes, unfortunately this mostly leads to getting badly payed menial jobs. So there must be something wrong with this approach. Only if you go for intrinsic motivation, for fun, or because you just believe in what you do, you will be truly successful and happy. He is a clear example of that. It's not clear if he realizes this himself.

    • @ian9toes
      @ian9toes Před 2 lety +1

      Paul met Debbie
      I think he’s career of spotting patterns in the stock market is a pathetic job in terms of contribution to society. No one benefits from that pattern recognition except himself.
      Bill Gates, Elon Musk and even Jeff Bezos actually contribute something.
      Elon talks about how most of the really smart people get into finance jobs but someone has to make the stuff.
      James said people work for money or respect, but what about bringing something new to the world, inventing something. One could get a lot of satisfaction out of inventing something even if it doesn’t bring a lot of money or respect.

    • @GummyJeff
      @GummyJeff Před 2 lety +1

      it's actually the statement i most disagree with. people don't work for money and respect, they work for value.
      not everyone sees respect as a desirable asset.

    • @freshestinclass763
      @freshestinclass763 Před 2 lety

      @@ian9toes sounds like you have the desire to invent something 🤔

    • @DexterHaven
      @DexterHaven Před 2 lety +1

      @@ian9toes You are missing the point entirely. People who have made money in their field desperately want to invest it, so it can grow. Colleges and public charities live off of their investments, silly. Simons's Medallion Fund allowed thousands of investors to compound their savings, which benefited students, charities, teachers, families, helped people survive in retirement, etc. You seem clueless and bitter or you just don't understand the purpose of investment management at all.

  • @jmitterii2
    @jmitterii2 Před 5 lety +10

    He's so right about our terrible math in K-12 teaching. I graduated 2001... all through it seemed to just repeat and was way slow. And the teachers weren't that great, some didn't even understand the material themselves.

  • @jacobopstad5483
    @jacobopstad5483 Před 5 lety +3

    It's so reassuring to know there are people like him behind the scenes.

  • @vinayseth1114
    @vinayseth1114 Před 8 lety +145

    The Architect from the Matrix :D

    • @gatoradeee
      @gatoradeee Před 8 lety +6

      "statistical anomaly" "ergo" "vis-a-vis"

    • @vinayseth1114
      @vinayseth1114 Před 8 lety

      Did he really say 'ergo' in this interview? Or are or are you just referring to the Architect?

    • @gatoradeee
      @gatoradeee Před 8 lety +6

      Only referring to the Architect. Simon's actually says statistical anomaly in the video though.

    • @vinayseth1114
      @vinayseth1114 Před 8 lety +2

      Oh- haha, if someone actually used 'ergo' in a real-life interview, I'd be freaked out! :D

    • @AlCatrraz
      @AlCatrraz Před 7 lety

      LOL
      I use the word ERGO a lot...
      I am not famous to be interviewed though...
      I am educated in VARIOUS SCIENCES.. Mostly Math Computer Science...
      Never saw the MATRIX either...
      Here is an examples::
      Cogito Ergo Sum!
      Government Is (a necessary) EVIL!
      ergo:: GOVERNMENT IS EVIL!

  • @ceesaydesignsolutions
    @ceesaydesignsolutions Před 5 lety +5

    ‘One guy’s discovery leads to another guy’s invention leading to another man’s machine’, Dope line 👏🏿

  • @sundeeptitanic
    @sundeeptitanic Před 4 lety +1

    Really liked the quality of questions you asked him and the way you were attentive in listening to Jim (compared to what I saw just now on TED interview that guy kept cutting Jim & was more worried about his time than listening to him)

  • @Fightclub1995
    @Fightclub1995 Před 9 lety +545

    If people ask, what is the use of mathematics. Send them to this guy

    • @stevenboelke6661
      @stevenboelke6661 Před 9 lety +16

      jmw150 Would he not have an answer?

    • @jmw1500
      @jmw1500 Před 9 lety +46

      Not one applicable to most people... There is a lot more to math than hedge funds.

    • @9308323
      @9308323 Před 9 lety +38

      Fightclub1995 Or rather, try asking them to give an example of an invention in the last five centuries that didn't involve math.

    • @glitchxero4687
      @glitchxero4687 Před 8 lety +34

      Fightclub1995 When people ask me what the use of mathematics is, I just say, "I don't know, haven't figured it out. Hey, I'll give you five of these one dollar bills for that one fifty dollar bill."

    • @markomak1
      @markomak1 Před 8 lety +1

      +Fightclub1995 Bill Gates also went to Harvard to study mathematics.

  • @Rebasepoiss
    @Rebasepoiss Před 9 lety +5

    Excellent interview, Brady! I loved it.

  • @geolover5958
    @geolover5958 Před 2 lety +6

    This man proved that maths or science is not for just passing exams ,it has many real life applications too .it depends upon us how we use it ,only for passing exams or for real life too.

    • @agrajyadav2951
      @agrajyadav2951 Před rokem +1

      Earning money is one of the lamest application of maths

  • @CBS197
    @CBS197 Před 5 lety

    Great interview. Really enjoyed. Thanks.

  • @CillBinton
    @CillBinton Před 8 lety +20

    Obvious statement, but brilliant guy! The way he answers those questions is straight to the point. Very impressive.

  • @jior6
    @jior6 Před 8 lety +319

    "well this was kinda fun" LOL

    • @zzdoodzz
      @zzdoodzz Před 4 lety +17

      I caught that as well and got a laugh out of it. The guy is smart and also old, and must realize time is short now for him, so maybe his motivation to do this interview was just something fun to do while on his break for the day.

    • @TheRower94
      @TheRower94 Před 4 lety +1

      I was just going to comment that

  • @rainerbuechse6923
    @rainerbuechse6923 Před 3 lety +1

    The interviewer did a really great job here, thanks!

  • @Tech_Planet
    @Tech_Planet Před 2 lety +286

    Hello Neo, I am the Architect. I created the matrix.

  • @AMP09FH
    @AMP09FH Před 8 lety +23

    I live a few houses down from this guy and one of my friends works for him. He's a very nice guy and he helped establish a park and does a lot to help local businesses. Thanks for the great video Numberphile!

  • @venim1103
    @venim1103 Před 9 lety +4

    This was a very nice interview! Good job guys! :)

  • @paulneilson6117
    @paulneilson6117 Před 2 lety +5

    I love the fact that MIT sent him to Berkeley.
    Great interview.

  • @MarkCW
    @MarkCW Před 2 lety

    I really enjoyed this interview, thank you.

  • @askformoreinfowhichyouwont7510

    "It's mostly statistics" - He said what I assumed, since a long time. From there, with statistical analysis, you calculate probabilities and from there you can start thinking about money.

    • @MrSupernova111
      @MrSupernova111 Před 7 lety +18

      I fell in love with statistics from my very first semester in college because you once you understand basic concepts like variance and standard deviation you can start using them immediately. Were it not for the set back to take the required courses for a major in stats I would do it. So I decided on a minor in stats to complement my major in finance. I should be done by this time next year.
      Also, I already use the concepts I have learned so far in stats at my work. I highly recommend stats for anyone who has an interest in doing any type of analysis in life.

    • @alexbougias2948
      @alexbougias2948 Před 6 lety +2

      No just statistics,maybe quantum mathematics too

    • @akilbozbas
      @akilbozbas Před 4 lety +9

      Lemme make it easier for you. They use AI to make those predictions bud. This isn't a secret and neither something that nobody thought before. Everybody in this business knows that is possible and maybe 50% uses it. But not everybody who uses it makes a lot of money and this comes down to how you should structure your "model" and what anomalies you will use for it? That is the thing. And these are things that he didn't tell in this interview.

    • @antonhelsgaun
      @antonhelsgaun Před 3 lety

      @@akilbozbas but wouldn't the point of the ai be to discover the anomalies on it's own?

    • @shalomnoronha5477
      @shalomnoronha5477 Před 3 lety

      @@alexbougias2948 no there was no quantum mathematics

  • @prof.m.ottozeeejcdecs9998
    @prof.m.ottozeeejcdecs9998 Před 6 lety +12

    I liked the interview a lot. Mr. Simons is a no BS guy, my kind of man!

  • @tremainereleford7012
    @tremainereleford7012 Před 5 lety

    Thank you Sir Mr. James Simons for all your hard work...

  • @DSB42
    @DSB42 Před 9 lety +24

    Always love your videos Brady.

  • @dox_xus
    @dox_xus Před 9 lety +318

    He reminds me of Mike from Breaking Bad

  • @xXxDanPersianxXx
    @xXxDanPersianxXx Před 4 lety +8

    "This was kind of fun" - you have to love this guy

  • @michaelleahy3890
    @michaelleahy3890 Před 4 lety +1

    Just about every month at the Simons Foundation headquarters in NYC there is a free lecture by a scientist or mathematician at the top of their field speaking in depth about cutting edge research. The lecture is preceded by tea. I have met Jim Simons there and he is one of the most down to earth and humble people I have ever come across.

  • @MrinmoyRoy1990
    @MrinmoyRoy1990 Před 7 lety +15

    Great questions! Great answers. Awesome interview! Great job Numberphile!

  • @gglen2141
    @gglen2141 Před 6 lety +8

    Fantastic interview: "7, next question". That's going to keep me up at night.

  • @robertdale001
    @robertdale001 Před 2 lety

    I really enjoyed this interview!

  • @august1763
    @august1763 Před 2 lety +1

    Fascinating! Thank you for sharing this interview! We don't all go on to do great things with our love for mathematics, but know that there are some of us regular folk out here, that do share your passion.

    • @lightshine2786
      @lightshine2786 Před rokem

      Too many plebs in this world

    • @august1763
      @august1763 Před rokem

      @@lightshine2786 I can only partially agree. There are too many ordinary people, but I don't know that that has much to do with class. At some point in our lives, we're each given a chance or two to think more critically &mentally advance ourselves, providing us with more opportunities. Most folks choose not to seize those opportunities for growth, regardless of their socioeconomic background. The problem is ordinary thinkers.

  • @bolerie
    @bolerie Před 9 lety +4

    Honestly Brady, you are a really good interviewer! You asked some interesting questions that clearly got him thinking.

  • @czernm20
    @czernm20 Před 4 lety +55

    2:30 Wait what?! I am "Chernavsky" from Poland. :)

  • @will4727
    @will4727 Před 4 lety

    loved this, thanks @numberphile

  • @peterluo1776
    @peterluo1776 Před 4 lety +2

    Awesome interview. The interviewer was so respectful...great job.

  • @Fifou001
    @Fifou001 Před 6 lety +7

    He really knows stuff we will never ever imagine

  • @sk8erkidMAB8
    @sk8erkidMAB8 Před 9 lety +43

    Why is his favorite number seven!?
    These are the kinds of things that keep me up at night!

  • @rulxnovcelestin7797
    @rulxnovcelestin7797 Před 4 lety

    GREAT INTERVIEW!

  • @from_space
    @from_space Před 4 lety

    I'm not interested in deep mathematics enough to subscribe to Numberphile, but that was a really interesting video. I even gonna watch the full interview later.
    (thanks for uploading a full version!)

  • @renechavez4753
    @renechavez4753 Před 5 lety +5

    interesting man! I enjoy the straight simple discussion and his enthusiasm for mathematics

  • @michelfortier9563
    @michelfortier9563 Před 6 lety +4

    I would love to spend an hour with him. It's such a joy listening to someone who's intelligent and has a great mind on his shoulders.

  • @sonersteiner
    @sonersteiner Před 2 lety

    This was really great to listen at!

  • @sixhundredandfive7123
    @sixhundredandfive7123 Před 3 lety

    "I've never looked back that way."
    That helped and hit hard.

  • @Daniel7681
    @Daniel7681 Před 9 lety +28

    Damn, besides being brilliant he has a pretty relaxed personality as well. Thanks for the upload.

  • @dannnyweeeks
    @dannnyweeeks Před 9 lety +9

    I love how humble he is.

    • @thunderpooch
      @thunderpooch Před 6 lety +2

      Humble? His pulse is about to flat line.

    • @user-qq8tp9cn9p
      @user-qq8tp9cn9p Před 5 lety

      Hey, commie, you don't deserve other peoples money.

    • @pathrender
      @pathrender Před 5 lety

      @@thunderpooch do you have to be young and healthy to be humble dipshit?

  • @ozsuncoast
    @ozsuncoast Před 2 lety

    Yes, that was kinda fun to watch - thanks so much.

  • @user-md5vm7rz6x
    @user-md5vm7rz6x Před 2 lety

    Great interview takes two. It's a great interview. Thanks :-)

  • @Plushymobile
    @Plushymobile Před 5 lety +5

    This man is so smart his answers are thoughtfully done he deserves it

  • @Rdebeauvoir1
    @Rdebeauvoir1 Před 6 lety +5

    It is great to become wealthy using your knowledge, but I think it is even more important to show the willing to learn how to be successful just like you Mr. Simons.

  • @vijaymathur4071
    @vijaymathur4071 Před 2 lety

    Great interview with Simon.

  • @garveyebsmith
    @garveyebsmith Před 2 lety

    Great interview!

  • @CStuartHardwick
    @CStuartHardwick Před 9 lety +4

    Man. We need more of him.