http://ift.tt/2w0EqzV At the moment I’m re-reading Siobhan Roberts’ biography of John Horton Conway , Genius at play – the curious mind of John Horton Conway . In fact, I’m also re-reading Alexander Masters’ biography of Simon Norton , The genius in my basement – the biography of a happy man . If you’re in for a suggestion, try to read these two books at about the same time. I believe it is beneficial to both stories. Whatever. Sooner rather than later the topic of Conway’s game of life pops up. Conway’s present pose is to yell whenever possible ‘I hate life!’. Problem seems to be that in book-indices in which his name is mentioned (and he makes a habit of checking them all) it is for his invention of the game of Life, and not for his greatest achievement (ihoo), the discovery of the surreal numbers . If you have an hour to spare (btw. enjoyable), here are Siobhan Roberts and John Conway, giving a talk at Google: “On His LOVE/HATE Relationship with LIFE” By synchronicity I ...