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Why the World’s Best Mathematicians Are Hoarding Chalk

Great Big Story · documentary · Watch on YouTube

Recreational & visual mathDocumentaries & storytelling

What it is

A short Great Big Story piece about Hagoromo, a Japanese chalk brand so prized that mathematicians stockpiled it, with some reportedly dealing it on the side. It tells the quirky tale of a writing tool whose supply became scarce.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Cited as an amusing side story whenever HN discusses blackboards, chalk, and how mathematicians work.

  • 1 people recommended it
  • 1 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2019, last 2023

What HN commenters said

  1. “Pretty amusing they were stockpiling it and some were chalk dealers on the side.”

    Amusing look at mathematicians stockpiling chalk and dealing it on the side.

    Reedx, 2019-06 · Recommendation · in “The Chalk Market: Where Mathematicians Go to Get the Good Stuf”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: hagoromo, chalk, blackboards, mathematics culture, japan

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