Terence Tao

I don't know what to do.

I think there's a quote from The Simpsons, I've tried nothing and I'm all out of ideas.

So, you know, like the next step then is to try anything, like no matter how stupid, and in fact, almost the stupid of the better, which, you know, I think we're just almost guaranteed to fail, but the way it fails is going to be instructive.

Like it fails because you're not at all taking into account this hypothesis.

Oh, this hypothesis must be useful.

That's a clue.

Yeah.

Psychology is really important.

You talk to athletes like marathon runners and so forth, and they talk about what's the most important thing.

Is it the training regimen or the diet?

So much of it is psychology.

Just tricking yourself to think that the problem is feasible so that you're motivated to do it.

Is there something our human mind will never be able to comprehend?

Well, as a mathematician, I mean, it's a reduction.

There must be some large number that you can't understand.

That was the first thing that came to mind.

Well, okay.

I mean, how much augmentation are you willing?

For example, if I didn't even have pen and paper, if I had no technology whatsoever, so I'm not allowed blackboard, pen and paper.

You're already much more limited than you would be.