Stan Wagon was inspired by an exhibit at the Exploratorium, which was inspired by Gerson Robison's research, which was triggered by Robison cleaning up his son's toy blocks. (See mathenchant.wordpress.com for a longer version of this story.) Jim Propp On Monday, July 20, 2015, Dan Asimov <asimov@msri.org> wrote:
I'm not sure what history Jim is speaking of, but Stan Wagon of Macalester College built such a trike by 1995:
http://stanwagon.com <http://stanwagon.com/>
—Dan
On Jul 20, 2015, at 6:30 AM, James Propp <jamespropp@gmail.com <javascript:;>> wrote:
Were any of you ever in touch with Gerson Robison?
Jim Propp
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: *Diego Dominici* <dominicd@newpaltz.edu <javascript:;>> Date: Monday, July 20, 2015 Subject: Gerson Robison's son To: James Propp <jamespropp@gmail.com <javascript:;>> Cc: dominicd@newpaltz.edu <javascript:;>
Dear Jim Propp,
I've asked around, but haven't received any positive answers yet. I will let you know if get any information.
In the meantime, I found this piece of news about him:
http://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/07/clerk-sentenced-for-attack-on-a-new-paltz-...
Best wishes,
Diego Dominici Chair, Department of Mathematics SUNY New Paltz http://www2.newpaltz.edu/~dominicd/
On 7/18/2015 11:39 PM, James Propp wrote:
Dear Diego Dominici,
Do you know if anyone in your department is in touch with the family of Gerson Robison, who I believe taught at SUNY New Paltz several decades
ago?
I ask because Prof. Robison's son played a part in the chain of events that led to the invention of the square-wheeled tricycle currently on display at the Museum of Mathematics in New York City (by way of other incarnations of the idea at the San Francisco Exploratorium and
Macalester
College).
If the junior Robison is still alive, and lives in the New York area, he might enjoy a visit to the exhibit his messiness inspired, so I wanted to contact him.
Thanks,
Jim Propp
(mathematician at UMass Lowell, math-blogger, and member of the Museum of Mathematics Advisory Council)
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