Psoments -- nr.2, 2025-09-08, noon time.

 In a sense, this psoment is a continuation of the previous one:

https://wlodmoments.blogspot.com/2025/09/psoments-nr1-2025-09-08-still-early.html

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A conversation took place in 1976/77, downtown London (Ontario), in a restaurant. As the so-called Colloquium Chairman I invited an old friend (RIP) to give two talks, one for the mathematics department (at UWO), and the other talk for the mathematics, computer science and statistics departments (actually, for anybody who would like to listen). I invited people to the colloquiums mainly from Poland (half of them were already emigrants) because they were superb mathematicians, and everybody listening to them was happy.

My old friend was not young (already at the time), he was just a bit more than ten years older than me, and clearly over forty. Nevertheless, at the restaurant table, he told me that no mathematician after forty get's new, truly original ideas. That surprised me. I mentioned several famous mathematicians from the past that were known from History to both of us. He insisted. He said that they had conceived those ideas while these great mathematicians were still young. He was adamant about it.

Somehow, about twenty five years later -- London (Ontario) belonged already to my dim past -- when I mentioned that restaurant conversation, my friend was truly surprised. I have changed my mind he said. Now he believed that old mathematicians are capable of original ideas.

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I often add "(RIP)" next to mentioning a friend of mine. I wish it were just one unfortunate person. But there are so many of them. Right now I am already eighty three (and a bit -- I feel profoundly embarrassed), thus I live mostly with people who are gone, be it my ever modest family or friends from my elementary or high school, or a lot of mathematicians, poets (yes, there were poets in the past), ...

I feel strongly even about people whom I never meant but who were an important part of my life, be it some sport people, actors and entertainers,... This feeling extends even for some of the past long gone scientists, etc.