May 20, 2024 on a train from Pollica to Florence
A switch flipped, triggering a cascade of electrical pulses that spread across my mind like a wildfire, consuming everything in its path until an obsession with numbers was all that remained. The allure of mathematics has danced on the fringes of my consciousness for years, seeking the fuel on which its sparks could ignite and take over. This month, it found the kindling it was looking for.
Driven by an unyielding, insatiable, fervor for understanding, I lunged into the flames. I’ve been reading everything I can find on math concepts, history, and the symbolic associations with numbers. I’ve attended events and openly discussed my obsession, timidly at first, then shamelessly, in the hopes of uncovering others whose minds are on fire with mathematical curiosity. Then, earlier this month, I launched Chord of Time, a place to keep track of what I’m learning and share it with others. Within 3 days, fueled by a fixation that doesn’t give a damn about the human body’s need for sleep, I named, designed, built, and populated the site with articles covering the significance of the digits 1 through 9.
I considered publishing Chord of Time anonymously, withholding my personal stories and perspectives. However, as I write this while on the train to Florence, I realized that the research I chose to read on this ride was influenced by the fellow lifelong learners I just met in Pollica. I also find myself planning future trips around exploring locations significant to the history of mathematics and meeting like-minded nerds. My story and my studies are inextricably intertwined, each informing and enriching the other. The places I visit, the people I meet, and the experiences I have are individual flames that fuse into a roaring fire, blazing the trails for my curiosity, guiding my research and understanding.
In sharing the behind-the-scenes of building Chord of Time, I offer a glimpse through the lens of my life experience, which colors the conclusions I draw. My aim is to open the door for others to explore their own alternate perspectives, informed by the path that led me to my understanding. By presenting my journey with transparency, I seek to cultivate a collaborative spirit of discovery, where varied interpretations enrich our exploration of these topics. I invite you to accompany me on this journey, share your own stories, and together, let our collective curiosity illuminate new realms of knowledge.
-j