In isolation, Alexander Grothendieck seemed to have lost touch with reality, but some say his metaphysical theories could contain wonders One day in September 2014, in a hamlet in the French Pyrenean foothills, Jean-Claude, a landscape gardener in his late 50s, was surprised to see his neighbour at the gate. He hadn’t spoken to the 86-year-old in nearly 15 years after a dispute over a climbing rose that Jean-Claude had wanted to prune. The old man lived in total seclusion, tending to his garden in the djellaba he always wore, writing by night, heeding no one. Now, the long-bearded seeker looked troubled. “Would you do me a favour?” he asked Jean-Claude. Continue reading...

New scambaiting AI technology Apate aims to keep scammers on the line while collecting data that could help disrupt their business model * Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast A scammer calls, and asks for a passcode. Malcolm, an elderly man with an English accent, is confused. “What’s this business you’re talking about?” Malcolm asks. Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...