Mathematician John Nash - “A Beautiful Mind” - and his wife Alicia were killed in a taxi crash in New Jersey yesterday. He was 86; she was 82.
Huh.
So sad. Their poor son.
Thanks for the info. My wife was one of his fans.
What are the odds on that? No … wait … that wasn’t polite.
An article pointed out that they were thrown out, saying they were not wearing seat belts. I actually wonder if I’d have thought to buckle up in a taxi, since my only experience is seeing them on TV, and no one seems to buckle up on TV.
I always buckle up in a taxi, FWIW.
May Dr. Nash and his wife rest in peace. Although the Ron Howard movie was heavily fictionalized, it was interesting and I’m glad it brought Nash some measure of fame and fortune.
Not buckling up on Manhattan streets is not the same thing as not buckling up on the Jersey Turnpike.
Nash had plenty of fame, and some fortune, before the movie. The Nobel Prize does that for you. And even when he was still sick he had plenty of fame. In my circles his name was mentioned in awe - by MIT graduates in the Princeton area.
As for the movie. I could see why it would ignore Nash’s first son, and his bathroom escapade. What really bugged me was that it downplayed Alicia’s dedication. In the movie they are still married, and she was being an exceptionally good wife. In reality they were divorced and she took him back even though it was a hardship, and even though she was heavily involved with John Moore. When I was at her house in Princeton Junction for a meeting Nash came of his room, and Alicia shooed him back. It wasn’t love, it was dedication to someone important. That’s selfless.
The bio on him was one of the very best books I’ve ever read. Sylvia Nasar’s book is a masterpiece – moving and smart. His has to one of the most tragic stories imaginable and she does it full justice. His wife’s story is almost equally fascinating and equally tragic. Go read it if you haven’t yet. I think it far superior to the movie of the same name.