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Leonard M. Passano
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mathematician and author who taught at M.I.T. and wrote the textbooks, Calculus and Graphs: Simplified For a First Brief Course (1921), and Plane and Spherical Trigonometry (1918).
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Science Quotes by Leonard M. Passano (1 quote)
This trend [emphasizing applied mathematics over pure mathematics] will make the queen of the sciences into the quean of the sciences.
— Leonard M. Passano
As given, without citation, in Howard W. Eves Mathematical Circles Squared (1972), 158, which attributes it (via Dirk J. Struik) to a memorandum in which Passano wrote of the trend in the Dept. of Mathematics at M.I.T. Webmaster has as yet been unable to identify a primary source. (Can you help?) [Note: “quean” is an archaic word for: a disreputable woman; specifically : prostitute.—Merriam-Webster. “Thus the semantic spread between queen and quean could not be greater: from a woman of the highest repute to one of the lowest.” —alphadictionary.com]
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
(1987) -- 
