Descartes was born march 31st 1596, only 413 years ago today. He once told Blaise Pascal the only way to do good mathematics was never to allow anyone to make him get up in the morning before he felt like it.
It's still dark out. The shower is pouring with low pressure warm water. It feels good. I just went to sleep, now I'm up. I'm putting on my socks, now my shoes. The streets seem eerily empty until I get to the GW parkway. It's 6:34am, I see bridges with armed guards standing at the entrance. Lights everywhere. I'm passing the pentagon. More traffic, must be because I'm getting close to the 495 intersection with 66, heading west. There's the metro, though I don't see any trains passing, must not be in service yet? Is my mind functioning yet? Does it ever? I can't tell.
NPR is on the radio. Today in the writers almanac Descartes abridged biography is explained. Never wake up until you feel like it. This man is considered to be one of the greatest mathematicians in history and "The Father of Modern Philosophy". Yet we still haven't learned one of his principle tennents. The man, allegedly, died of pnuemonia in 1650 after taking up a job to teach Queen Christina of Sweden, who forced him to work every morning at 5am. This obviously didn't suite Descartes so he died. Thanks Queen Christina.
We might as well thank all employers who force their employees up at the earliest of hours in order to be the proverbial 'early bird'. Who eats worms anyways?
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