MetaMagicalThemas
Last edit April 20, 2012The name of DouglasHofstadter's column in the magazine ScientificAmerican published from circa 1981.
The name is remarkable because it is an anagram of MathematicalGames, which was the name of the same column when MartinGardner was writing it. A book of almost the same name: Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern,
ISBN 0465045669 collected the columns and, I think, some related material that did not make it into ScientificAmerican. The book is a collection of DouglasHofstadter's columns, each paired with a reflection on the column written by Hofstadter. I am under the impression it was published in order to maintain his public presence while he worked on other books -- I seem to recall his writing something to that effect in his LeTonBeauDeMarot.
The name is remarkable because it is an anagram of MathematicalGames, which was the name of the same column when MartinGardner was writing it. A book of almost the same name: Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern,
ISBN 0465045669 collected the columns and, I think, some related material that did not make it into ScientificAmerican. The book is a collection of DouglasHofstadter's columns, each paired with a reflection on the column written by Hofstadter. I am under the impression it was published in order to maintain his public presence while he worked on other books -- I seem to recall his writing something to that effect in his LeTonBeauDeMarot.