Travelling Salesman

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I'd like to first

welcome everyone here tonight.

All of you joining us...

we can't hear you!

Okay, I'm sorry.

Please excuse us for a moment.

We're clearly having some

technical difficulties here.

Uh, we'll introduce

this evening's keynote speaker

In just a second.

No cell phones.

I know.

The battery.

Yes.

Understood.

Was that him?

What did he say?

40 minutes.

This doesn't feel right.

This is over two years.

Did he say why?

Traffic.

Perhaps we should

discuss the addendum

Before he arrives.

I wasn't 100% clear...

It was strongly suggested.

It wasn't 100% clear

If this was applicable.

It certainly wasn't

at the start.

And, now that we're here...

it was strongly suggested.

And now that

we're somehow here,

It would seem irresponsible

to everyone involved

To not have the discussion.

Right, that's...

exactly what I'm saying.

Who's the author

of the addendum?

I imagine it was a compositor.

Right, so...

- wasn't me.

- Or me.

I'm sorry?

The addendum.

What about it?

We think it should be

discussed.

So? Discuss it.

Why was it included?

I was asked to include

applied suppositions.

- When?

- Nine months ago.

Why am I being interrogated?

Come on.

It was always agreed on,

from the start,

That everything

in the final report

Would be discussed

and agreed upon by all of us,

Unanimously.

That's right.

Well...

- as... As I was saying...

- Was it von neu...

I'm sorry to interrupt.

Was it von Neumann who said

that in mathematics

We don't understand things,

we simply get used to them?

What does that mean?

Well, uh...

i suppose what it means

Is that the implication

stated within the addendum

Seemed to be a slight stretch

For an algorithmic

theoretician,

Wouldn't you say, Jim?

I can't believe the English

Still haven't taught you

proper manners.

Guys, let's stay on the topic.

I'm not entirely sure

what that means, but, uh...

- oh, I'm sure you wouldn't.

- It's apparent,

However superficially, that

you've exceeded your authority.

Perhaps we should hang on

for a minute...

This is not a democracy...

actually, authority's

even the wrong word,

Because that has implications,

And in this case,

there are none.

- You had none.

- Or a lecture hall, son.

There's no point

in questioning...

I'm not a child.

No, you most certainly are not.

You used the word "superficial"

a moment ago,

And if that's where

you'd like to leave it,

Then the answer

is quite simple.

Three words:

Knowledge is power.

Yes, it is.

His brief career

has undoubtedly touched,

Influenced,

and motivated all of us

In some capacity.

And these brief introductions

Always, on some level,

seem to fall short

Of true justice.

But, nevertheless, here goes.

Our honored guest was born

in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

Son of a banker

and a homemaker,

A graduate of the university

of Pennsylvania,

Summa cum laude,

Before receiving his PhD

in mathematics

From Princeton.

Based on his thesis work

on Riemann's hypothesis,

He was an invited fellow

At the institute

for advanced study

As well as at mit,

Where his work

on complexity theory

Earned him the abel prize.

He is presently the rouse ball

professor of mathematics

In the department

of pure mathematics

And mathematical statistics

at Cambridge university

And a fellow

at trinity college.

In 2008...

he was awarded the greatest

honor in our profession

When he was presented

with the fields medal

For his proof

of the nonexistence

Of one-Way functions.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is with great honor

that I now present to you

Dr. Timothy Horton.

Has he seen this?

Which part?

The addendum.

No.

What does it matter?

The implications

are fairly self-Evident, right?

I mean, perhaps

not through and through,

But let's be clear.

This endeavor

would not have received

The level of funding

and classification

If its implications

were not self-Evident.

I agree

they're self-Evident,

But I still feel

they need to be aired,

And I guess, mulled over.

I don't know,

I feel uncomfortable

To just sit here

with assumptions.

We all know this is far too big

To assume anything.

Why is it self-Evident?

Pardon me?

Why is it self-Evident?

Well, I mean...

you don't work

your entire academic life

In the fields of theoretical

computer science

And complexity theory

without understanding the...

The massive implications

of doing something like this.

Right.

Well, I guess, uh,

I guess I feel

There are two things wrong

with what you just said.

Um, first of all, we were

told from... Promised, actually,

That any of the applied

mathematical results

Of our findings

would be our own

And they would not

be classified.

They'd be government

purpose rights,

But that's it, right?

He changed that

somewhere along the way.

Second of all, to assume

that any of us as mathematicians

Can sufficiently gauge

the real-World implications

Of this project, it's...

It's hubris.

I mean, it's... It's...

It's just hubris.

Wow.

How do you ever get a date

with such an academic mind?

I'm not sure I understand

what you're suggesting.

I simply dazzle them

with my card tricks.

I mean, come on, guys,

this is...

I feel like this is the argument

that evolutionary scientists

Have over steak dinner

and a glass of wine, right?

It's... One solves

one problem,

And the other one

looks back and says,

"Well,

what was before that?"

And then,

"well, what was before that?

What was before that?"

I mean...

how do we get our minds

around something like that?

Why don't you read my addendum?

I did,

and I find your assumptions

To be inadequate,

among other things.

I don't think anyone

is saying here

That we can accurately forecast

The implications

of our research

50 years from now,

If I can understand

what you're trying to say.

Just like oppenheimer and Fermi

Couldn't possibly

predict the consequences

Of the los Alamos research.

This also begs the question

of responsibility as well.

How could we

possibly discuss that?

At los Alamos, they didn't...

This... is not los Alamos.

What did you say?

How's your daughter doing?

She talking yet?

As much as I do appreciate

the smalltalk, Horton,

It feels awkwardly out of place

Given your little

los Alamos project.

- Manhattan.

- What's that?

Freakin' brits.

It was the Manhattan project.

Right.

Yeah, yeah,

this is all S.C.I. Classified.

So, you know, if you

divulge anything, the NSA...

I think that's who

we've got over there...

They'll, uh,

they'll assassinate you.

Probably torture you first.

Oh, very charming.

Guess I should put away

my spy camera then.

"But, uh, but,

"Mr. President,

he'll see everything.

He'll see the big board!"

Precisely the idea.

Where the bloody hell

is los Alamos, anyway?

Ah, it's new Mexico.

The desert.

Hmm. What's it like

to live in the desert?

- I do wonder.

- How should I know?

I'm from south Philly.

Either way, this is certainly

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