thru euclid's window

Was reading Euclid's Window by Leonard Mlodinow. It's a very interesting maths book talking about the evolution of geometry "from parallel lines to hyperspace".

Do you know that the x-y coordinate system that we so take for granted, actually came from some hard work? And in those days, clever people usually get killed by a mob cos they are too clever. Aha, luckily I'm stupid.

The book mentioned a lot of science heroes along the time line, ranging from Pythagoras to Einstein, but the moment he started talking about Einstein I couldn't catch no ball anymore. Relativity is relatively difficult.

The one thing I find most interesting is this: given 2 locations in the northern hemisphere lying on the same latitude (ie the same east-west line), the shortest way to travel between them is not along east-west, but rather go north a bit, then go south a bit, a curve line along the "great circle" whose centre coincides with the centre of the Earth.

Try taking MRT from Jurong East to Raffles Place via Woodlands.