‘Mastery of mathematics is an instrument of power’, says Viana
In an interview with Agência Brasil, IMPA’s director-general, Marcelo Viana, assessed that knowledge in mathematics can define who wields power in today’s society. The report, published on Wednesday (15) – the date on which Teachers’ Day is celebrated, addressed the importance of democratization and popularization of the discipline, the performance of young people in Basic Education and the ability to generate wealth and development for the country.
“Mathematics is entering the lives of each of us in new ways, and much more invasive than before. Before, it was already in everything, now it is also in the way our lives are guided. If you submit a credit application, the decision will probably be made by artificial intelligence, which is based on mathematics. If you don’t have this knowledge, you are at the mercy of those who use the knowledge [in mathematics], which will necessarily be for their own benefit,” he said.
Viana also recommended the documentary “Counted Out” to readers (‘Excluded by Mathematics’ in free translation into Portuguese), which conveys the message that mathematics is power. “Whoever has this knowledge exercises power. Those who do not have it are subject to being exploited, to be manipulated by those who hold the power of mathematical knowledge. The film brings a striking example of an American prisoner whose request for parole was denied by the authorities based on the decision of an algorithm and artificial intelligence,” he explained.
Camila Boehm’s report took the opportunity to address Viana’s new book, “The Discovery of Numbers” – a book that was born after an invitation from Capes for a lecture on the popularization of science. In my case, they asked to write about the mystery of numbers. I prepared the lecture and had to research several things that I hadn’t paid so much attention to. At the end, when the lecture was ready, I realized, in a click, that if I transcribed the lecture into text it would become a small book. A small book that told things that I didn’t know before I started writing, so I thought it brought some value,” Viana said.