Keith Devlin—The Joy of Math

Keith Devlin has strange news for those who believe that math is medieval torture: deep down, he says, we're all mathematicians. Devlin, a mathematician and dean of science at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California, explains why in his latest book, "The Math Gene: How Mathematical Thinking Evolved and Why Numbers are Like Gossip." (Basic Books, 2000). Apparently math is ingrained in our brains, an offshoot of our unique grasp of language. He shared his numerical musings with Discover associate editor Josie Glausiusz.