make people's lives better But arguably also making people’s lives worse. Applied mathematicians and physicists have contributed to the development of weapons

make people's lives better But arguably also making people’s lives worse. Applied mathematicians and physicists have contributed to the development of weapons of war since the time of Archimedes. As a committed and outspoken pacifist, Hardy wanted no part in warfare. This informed a good part of his philosophy, along with aesthetics. I would hardly call that navel gazing.