5 ms·

Well yeah, he was constantly on amphetamines

by ThisIsMyAltAcct 3y ago

leesec 3y ago
As if I could just up my adderall dosage and become a mathematical God
serf 3y ago
it's a shame that everyone quite amphetamines.. otherwise we'd be getting more Erdős, right?
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- reaperman 3y ago
  [0]> According to FDA manufacturer surveys, by 1962, US production reached an estimated 80000 kg of amphetamine salts, corresponding to consumption of 43 standard 10-mg doses per person per year on a total-population basis. Thus, in amphetamine alone, the United States in the early 1960s was using nearly as much psychotropic medication as the 65 doses per person per year in the present decade that social critics today find so extraordinary. And the 1960s are rightly remembered for excessive minor tranquilizer consumption, around 14 standard doses per person per year on the basis of retail prescription sales. It is rarely appreciated that in the early 1960s, amphetamines were actually consumed at a higher rate than tranquilizers. Total amphetamine production 2024[1]: Lisdexamfetamine 26,500kg d-amphetamine (for sale) 21,200kg d,l-amphetamine 21,200kg d-amphetamine (for conversion) 20,000kg Population of USA in 1962: 184.9 million Population of USA Today: 331.9 million This covers the 41.4 million prescriptions for amphetamine in 2021 which would be enough for 3.45 million people, but not illicit amphetamine/methamphetamine. 1.2 million Americans reported using methamphetamine in the past year. Also other similar stimulants like methylphenidate, modafinil would also have to be calculated into any analysis, these weren't nearly as popular in the 1960's. 63,000kg of methylphenidate are produced in USA for 2024. 0: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2377281/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2377281/ 1: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/02/2023-24282/proposed-aggregate-production-quotas-for-schedule-i-and-ii-controlled-substances-and-assessment-of https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/02/2023-24...
- The_Colonel 3y ago
  All those meth addicts are just misunderstood math geniuses.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
Paul-Craft 3y ago
Not sure why this was downvoted and previously flagged. It's well known that Erdős took amphetamines. In fact, he once bet Ron Graham that he could quit taking them for a month. He won the bet, but he famously said the progress of mathematics was set back by a month. https://hsm.stackexchange.com/questions/14598/erdos-use-of-amphetamines-to-stimulate-his-creativity https://hsm.stackexchange.com/questions/14598/erdos-use-of-a...
- OldGuyInTheClub 3y ago
  I guess he and Lloyd Bridges both picked the wrong time to quit amphetamines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhaXZh-p4hQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhaXZh-p4hQ
- WhitneyLand 3y ago
  I’m not one of the downvotes but my guess would it’s not because a fact was stated. Rather that the tone of the comment seems to trivialize his contributions.
- varjag 3y ago
  A user in withdrawal would certainly say that.
- godelski 3y ago
  > Not sure why this was downvoted Because it is a lazy comment that contributes little and a lot of people on HN don't like that, preferring to promote conversation. But people on HN tend to take votes less seriously and more about moving comments around.
paulpauper 3y ago
'50s weight loss drug
larodi 3y ago
And he was also celibate which is even harder and much more uncommon. And being that celibate, well perhaps amphets are just like some coffee to you. Definitely out of this world to be judged as common mortals, who even when being on amphet, do not spit papers but only cyclic nonsense
- sBqQu3U0wH 3y ago
  >celibate which is even harder and much more uncommon. How is it hard? You don't have to do anything. Being the opposite is hard.
- faeriechangling 3y ago
  Celibacy is common nowadays.
badpenny 3y ago
A Mathematician is a machine for turning amphetamines into theorems.

Well yeah, he was constantly on amphetamines

leesec 3y ago

As if I could just up my adderall dosage and become a mathematical God

serf 3y ago

it's a shame that everyone quite amphetamines.. otherwise we'd be getting more Erdős, right?

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
reaperman 3y ago
[0]> According to FDA manufacturer surveys, by 1962, US production reached an estimated 80000 kg of amphetamine salts, corresponding to consumption of 43 standard 10-mg doses per person per year on a total-population basis. Thus, in amphetamine alone, the United States in the early 1960s was using nearly as much psychotropic medication as the 65 doses per person per year in the present decade that social critics today find so extraordinary. And the 1960s are rightly remembered for excessive minor tranquilizer consumption, around 14 standard doses per person per year on the basis of retail prescription sales. It is rarely appreciated that in the early 1960s, amphetamines were actually consumed at a higher rate than tranquilizers. Total amphetamine production 2024[1]: Lisdexamfetamine 26,500kg d-amphetamine (for sale) 21,200kg d,l-amphetamine 21,200kg d-amphetamine (for conversion) 20,000kg Population of USA in 1962: 184.9 million Population of USA Today: 331.9 million This covers the 41.4 million prescriptions for amphetamine in 2021 which would be enough for 3.45 million people, but not illicit amphetamine/methamphetamine. 1.2 million Americans reported using methamphetamine in the past year. Also other similar stimulants like methylphenidate, modafinil would also have to be calculated into any analysis, these weren't nearly as popular in the 1960's. 63,000kg of methylphenidate are produced in USA for 2024. 0: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2377281/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2377281/ 1: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/02/2023-24282/proposed-aggregate-production-quotas-for-schedule-i-and-ii-controlled-substances-and-assessment-of https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/02/2023-24...
The_Colonel 3y ago
All those meth addicts are just misunderstood math geniuses.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

Paul-Craft 3y ago

Not sure why this was downvoted and previously flagged. It's well known that Erdős took amphetamines. In fact, he once bet Ron Graham that he could quit taking them for a month. He won the bet, but he famously said the progress of mathematics was set back by a month. https://hsm.stackexchange.com/questions/14598/erdos-use-of-amphetamines-to-stimulate-his-creativity https://hsm.stackexchange.com/questions/14598/erdos-use-of-a...

OldGuyInTheClub 3y ago
I guess he and Lloyd Bridges both picked the wrong time to quit amphetamines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhaXZh-p4hQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhaXZh-p4hQ
WhitneyLand 3y ago
I’m not one of the downvotes but my guess would it’s not because a fact was stated. Rather that the tone of the comment seems to trivialize his contributions.
varjag 3y ago
A user in withdrawal would certainly say that.
godelski 3y ago
> Not sure why this was downvoted Because it is a lazy comment that contributes little and a lot of people on HN don't like that, preferring to promote conversation. But people on HN tend to take votes less seriously and more about moving comments around.

paulpauper 3y ago

'50s weight loss drug

larodi 3y ago

And he was also celibate which is even harder and much more uncommon. And being that celibate, well perhaps amphets are just like some coffee to you. Definitely out of this world to be judged as common mortals, who even when being on amphet, do not spit papers but only cyclic nonsense

sBqQu3U0wH 3y ago
>celibate which is even harder and much more uncommon. How is it hard? You don't have to do anything. Being the opposite is hard.
faeriechangling 3y ago
Celibacy is common nowadays.

badpenny 3y ago

A Mathematician is a machine for turning amphetamines into theorems.