Have you ever heard of a Swiss Mathematician Who Nearly Went Blind? If you haven’t, then you’re in for a hilarious story. Meet Paul Erdös, a celebrated mathematician and beloved father figure in the mathematical community. A renowned polymath, Erdös was best known for his prolific output of unsolved mathematical problems, many of which continue to stump mathematicians even today. He was also known for his eccentric personality and sense of humour; unfortunately, he almost went blind during his lifetime due to a medical condition.
Paul Erdös, born in Hungary in 1913, rose to mathematical fame from his incredibly fast problem-solving abilities. Soon he was collaborating with numerous other mathematicians all over the world and even earning the nickname of “The Magician from Budapest”. It seems only fitting that he would have a superpower worthy of his magical moniker. His “power” was an eye condition named keratoconus. As the name suggests, it involves an abnormal shape of the cornea that can lead to poor vision and even blindness.
Although this condition is usually degenerative and progressive, Erdös didn’t quite seem to notice anything wrong with his vision for a long time. This is likely because the only effect it had on his eyesight was blurring or clouding of objects that are several feet away. However, he began noticing that the blurring started to intensify around the 1980s.
At first, he thought it was due to his age and the natural decline in eyesight that comes with aging. He even went so far as to joke about it, saying that he was getting old which is why he was losing his vision. It was only years later when he visited an ophthalmologist that he found out that the blurring he was experiencing had nothing to do with age.
The ophthalmologist diagnosed him with keratoconus and prescribed him glasses that had a special concave lens specifically designed to correct his vision. Unfortunately, that was not the solution Erdös was hoping for. The concave lens amplified his eye condition, leading to double vision and making it difficult for him to read or write. Thus, he decided not to wear them.
It was only when he started to experience frequent headaches, nausea, and double vision that he decided to wear the glasses. In the end, Erdös’ courage and resilience kept him from going blind. Through it all, he held on to his sense of humour until his passing in 1996.
In a hilarious twist of fate, the Swiss Mathematician Who Nearly Went Blind ended up not going blind due to his condition. Paul Erdös lived a remarkable life as a polymath and produced a significant contribution to the field of mathematics. His sense of humour and courage in facing his condition make him an inspiration to us all. We can all learn from his story and have a laugh while we’re at it!
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