In Chapter 4 of Not My Thesis, Jane Panangaden explains the abstract world of pure math and the delights of exploring it, as well as her work advocating for tenants’ rights in Pasadena. While dividing her time between writing proofs and legislation, Jane grapples with how we apply our skills, technical or otherwise, to bring a different world into existence. She asks us to consider: why do math?

You can find out more about the Pasadena Tenants Union, including the ordinance they wrote here. Read about what the Socialists of Caltech are up to here.

To learn more about the history of eugenics at Caltech, check out this Caltech Letters viewpoint article. In recognition of this history, Caltech recently decided to remove the names of some of the eugenicists from campus buildings. Hear Jane and others in conversation with the Caltech Archives in this video.

Find us on Caltech Letters, SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The transcript is available here. You can contact us by emailing notmythesis@gmail.com. Music for this episode was provided by Blue Dot Sessions, and our artwork is by Usha Lingappa.