---
title: I wanna discover things too
author: Benedikt Brünner
date: 2026-10-14
url: https://postgenerative.at/indications/2026-10-14/i-wanna-discover-things-too
lang: en
type: Indication
summary: Steven Strogatz talks about the desire to discover something oneself when AI takes over mathematical research. Are AI’s advances eroding the next generation’s own ambitions?
tags:
  - Mathematics
  - Higher education
  - Research
  - Education
sources:
  - title: "The New York Times: Steven Strogatz in conversation with Rachel Abrams for “The Daily” – Instagram reel"
    url: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Decg9INFepC/
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
alternate:
  de: https://postgenerativ.at/indizien/2026-10-14/i-wanna-discover-things-too
---

# I wanna discover things too

What remains of the desire to discover something oneself when AI does mathematics better than a human?

In a conversation with Rachel Abrams for “The Daily” of the New York Times, Steven Strogatz, professor of mathematics at Cornell University, addresses this question of meaning: “What’s the point?”

He recounts a discussion with faculty and students about AI and the future of mathematics. In it, a wish is voiced that gives this indication its title: “I wanna discover things too.”

Strogatz’s reflection on this, paraphrased: Life is precious precisely because it is short.

Are AI’s advances already eroding the next generation’s own ambitions?

*My personal thought: I believe we cannot even imagine how these young people feel.*

[New York Times Instagram reel](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Decg9INFepC/)

The reel's description links to the full conversation.