Describe your latest project.
Benjamin Franklin's Numbers describes the life and accomplishments of everyone's favorite Founding Father. It's written from a mathematical perspective, because (a) I'm a mathematician, and (b) all earlier biographies completely neglected that point of view. Franklin didn't shy away from looking at our world through a mathematical lens, despite the fact that he lacked a proper schooling and had to educate himself through a program of self-study. This is in stark contrast to many people today, who pride themselves on mathematical illiteracy! Not only did Franklin view important questions of the day as quantitative issues, he also created marvelous examples of magic squares, all of which are reproduced in my book. Since he was a gifted amateur, this material is accessible to non-mathematicians.

What inspires you to sit down and write?
I can't stand not writing. Even if you're in line at the grocery store, or driving to work, you can still "write" in your head and then pray for a chance to record those thoughts on paper somewhere before they're forgotten.

And one can always find something to write about. Whenever you are working on a mathematical question, there is bound to be some new avenue to explore, some variation on the question that hasn't even been asked before. The inspiration is everywhere, because mathematics is everywhere. Another nice thing about mathematics is that you can accomplish a lot without any special funding; even if your grant request is rejected, there's no need to shut down the "laboratory of your mind."

Describe your favorite childhood teacher and how that teacher influenced you.
That's a tough question, because there were so many great teachers. One of my fifth grade teachers, Miss Jeanette McNeill, was very influential. She lent me a telescope, an amazing professional quality device that must have been terribly expensive. I kept it for a long time. We're taught never to look straight into the sun, but this device had an attachment that allowed you to do just that. The funny thing is that Miss McNeill was actually an English teacher, but she saw my interest in science and helped it along. She also taught us to write in calligraphic script. When you're a kid writing your own books, in the days before the personal computer, calligraphy makes your work look so much more professional — like a pre-Gutenberg classic copied by generations of monks.

Have you ever taken the Geek Test? How did you rate?
No, for the same reason I haven't had one of those new full-body scans. It's probably unnecessary, and I'm afraid of what it might reveal!

Chess or video games?
Unlike Franklin, I can't profess any great love of chess. I did play when I was a kid, but it's hard to care too much about the classic game now that I've discovered all of the more interesting variations that recreational mathematicians have studied: oblong boards, extra pieces, and so forth. I prefer video games, especially vintage early video games like Pac-Man, Centipede, and Galaxian. They are primitive, but that's okay. I really don't need my games to be alarmingly realistic. (If I want reality, I'll face it!)

What do you do for relaxation?
Play with my kids, Anthony (6 years) and Mark (3 months). Their perspectives on the world are incredibly clear. Just as scientists who become overly specialized may risk losing touch with the big picture, I think that adults become gradually fixated on their particular situations (career, finances, social status), and that narrowness makes them too specialized to respond to new information. Children still have an openness to new ideas that enables them to adapt and prosper.

Douglas Adams or Scott Adams?
Scott Adams! The fact that he can crank out office humor, after maybe ten years of not working in an office, is fantastic. I do miss Douglas and his unique perspective, though.

What was your favorite book as a kid?
Tiger Flower by Robert Vavra and Fleur Cowles. It's about a day when all of the big things in the jungle become small, and the small things become big. The fact that young children can understand the point of that book makes it no less profound.

What new technology do you think may actually have the potential for making people's lives better?
Nanotech, if it's properly tested for safety. As a species, we have a habit of rushing into applications and thinking about the consequences later. Absent any unforeseen drawbacks, I expect nanotechnology to change our world for the better, especially in its medical applications.

If you could be reincarnated for one day to live the life of any scientist or writer, who would you choose and why?
I'd like to be Mark Twain for a day. He had such a focused, unfiltered view of the world, and yet he still had a good dose of funny.

Describe the best museum of science and/or industry you've ever visited and what made it great.
My favorite will always be the American Museum of Natural History. It appeals to all age groups, and you can get really close to the artifacts.

By the end of your life, where do you think humankind will be in terms of new science and technological advancement?
This is a sneaky question because it has two parts: when will you die, and what will the world be like when you do?

Some years ago, there was a wonderful little book by the authors of The People's Almanac called The Book of Predictions. Scientists, philosophers, astrologers, and others were asked to describe our technological and social future. I still reread it from time to time for the entertainment value, since they were wrong about almost everything. It's no surprise that the astrologers erred, but even the scientists who make the future have a hard time predicting it. This makes me very cautious. (Poor Richard told readers that if a prediction went awry, it must be the printer's fault for misquoting him!) That being said, I hope to see voice-recognition technology reach its full potential in the household and workplace. On the other hand, now that a guitar can be connected to an amplifier without using any wires, I'm not sure that anything else really needs to be invented.

Which country do you believe currently leads the world in science and technology? In ten years?
Right now, it's still the United States, and that will remain true ten years from now. In twenty-five years it will be China. I have high hopes that the U.S. will regain its predominance after that, but it will take a concerted effort.

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Paul C. Pasles is associate professor of mathematical sciences at Villanova University.