Alexander Keewatin Dewdney (August 5, 1941 – March 9, 2024) was a Canadian mathematician, computer scientist, author, filmmaker, and conspiracy theorist. Dewdney was the son of Canadian artist and author Selwyn Dewdney and art therapist Irene Dewdney, and brother of poet Christopher Dewdney.
Dewdney was born in London, Ontario on August 5, 1941, and died there on March 9, 2024, at the age of 82.[1]
Art and fictionedit
In his student days, Dewdney made a number of influential experimental films, including Malanga, on the poet Gerald Malanga, Four Girls, Scissors, and his most ambitious film, the pre-structural Maltese Cross Movement.[2][3]Margaret Atwood wrote that a poetry scrapbook by Dewdney, based on the Maltese Cross Movement film, "raises scrapbooking to an art".[4]
The Academy Film Archive has preserved two of Dewdney's films: The Maltese Cross Movement in 2009 and Wildwood Flower in 2011.[5]
Dewdney wrote two novels, The Planiverse (about an imaginary two-dimensional world)[6] and Hungry Hollow: The Story of a Natural Place. Dewdney lived in London, Ontario where he held the position of Professor Emeritus at the University of Western Ontario.[7]
Computing, mathematics, and scienceedit
Dewdney wrote a number of books on mathematics, computing, and bad science. He also founded and edited a magazine on recreational programming called Algorithm[8] between 1989 and 1993.
Dewdney followed Martin Gardner and Douglas Hofstadter in authoring Scientific American magazine's recreational mathematics column, renamed to "Computer Recreations", then "Mathematical Recreations", from 1984 to 1991. He published more than 10 books on scientific possibilities and puzzles.[9] Dewdney was a co-inventor of programming gameCore War.[10]
Beginning in the nineties, Dewdney worked on biology, both as a field ecologist[11] and as a mathematical biologist,[12] contributing a solution to the problem of determining the underlying dynamics of species abundance in natural communities.
Conspiracy theoriesedit
Dewdney was a member of the 9/11 truth movement, and theorized that the planes used in the September 11 attacks had been emptied of passengers and were flown by remote control.[13] He based these claims in part on a series of experiments (one with funding from Japan's TV Asahi) that, he claimed, showed that cell phones do not work on airplanes, from which he concluded that the phone calls received from hijacked passengers during the attacks must have been faked.
^Atwood, Margaret (2011) [1966], "Some old, some new, some boring, some blew, and some picture books", Second Words: Selected Critical Prose 1960-1982, House of Anansi, p. 66, ISBN9781770890107.
^Stewart, P. J. (2016) [Spring 1991], "Allegory through the Computing Class: Sufism in 'The Planiverse' by A. K. Dewdney", Sufi (9): 26–30, retrieved May 10, 2017.
dewdney, alexander, keewatin, dewdney, august, 1941, march, 2024, canadian, mathematician, computer, scientist, author, filmmaker, conspiracy, theorist, dewdney, canadian, artist, author, selwyn, dewdney, therapist, irene, dewdney, brother, poet, christopher, . Alexander Keewatin Dewdney August 5 1941 March 9 2024 was a Canadian mathematician computer scientist author filmmaker and conspiracy theorist Dewdney was the son of Canadian artist and author Selwyn Dewdney and art therapist Irene Dewdney and brother of poet Christopher Dewdney A K DewdneyBorn 1941 08 05 August 5 1941London Ontario CanadaDiedMarch 9 2024 2024 03 09 aged 82 London Ontario CanadaOccupation s Mathematician computer scientist author filmmaker Contents 1 Personal life 2 Art and fiction 3 Computing mathematics and science 4 Conspiracy theories 5 Works 6 References 7 External linksPersonal life editDewdney was born in London Ontario on August 5 1941 and died there on March 9 2024 at the age of 82 1 Art and fiction editIn his student days Dewdney made a number of influential experimental films including Malanga on the poet Gerald Malanga Four Girls Scissors and his most ambitious film the pre structural Maltese Cross Movement 2 3 Margaret Atwood wrote that a poetry scrapbook by Dewdney based on the Maltese Cross Movement film raises scrapbooking to an art 4 The Academy Film Archive has preserved two of Dewdney s films The Maltese Cross Movement in 2009 and Wildwood Flower in 2011 5 Dewdney wrote two novels The Planiverse about an imaginary two dimensional world 6 and Hungry Hollow The Story of a Natural Place Dewdney lived in London Ontario where he held the position of Professor Emeritus at the University of Western Ontario 7 Computing mathematics and science editDewdney wrote a number of books on mathematics computing and bad science He also founded and edited a magazine on recreational programming called Algorithm 8 between 1989 and 1993 Dewdney followed Martin Gardner and Douglas Hofstadter in authoring Scientific American magazine s recreational mathematics column renamed to Computer Recreations then Mathematical Recreations from 1984 to 1991 He published more than 10 books on scientific possibilities and puzzles 9 Dewdney was a co inventor of programming game Core War 10 Beginning in the nineties Dewdney worked on biology both as a field ecologist 11 and as a mathematical biologist 12 contributing a solution to the problem of determining the underlying dynamics of species abundance in natural communities Conspiracy theories editDewdney was a member of the 9 11 truth movement and theorized that the planes used in the September 11 attacks had been emptied of passengers and were flown by remote control 13 He based these claims in part on a series of experiments one with funding from Japan s TV Asahi that he claimed showed that cell phones do not work on airplanes from which he concluded that the phone calls received from hijacked passengers during the attacks must have been faked Works editThe Planiverse Computer Contact with a Two Dimensional World 1984 ISBN 0 387 98916 1 The Armchair Universe An Exploration of Computer Worlds 1988 ISBN 0 7167 1939 8 collection of Mathematical Recreations columns The Magic Machine A Handbook of Computer Sorcery 1990 ISBN 0 7167 2144 9 collection of Mathematical Recreations columns The New Turing Omnibus Sixty Six Excursions in Computer Science 1993 ISBN 0 8050 7166 0 The Tinkertoy Computer and Other Machinations 1993 ISBN 0 7167 2491 X collection of Mathematical Recreations columns Introductory Computer Science Bits of Theory Bytes of Practice 1996 ISBN 0 7167 8286 3 200 of Nothing An Eye Opening Tour Through the Twists and Turns of Math Abuse and Innumeracy 1996 ISBN 0 471 14574 2 Yes We Have No Neutrons An Eye Opening Tour through the Twists and Turns of Bad Science 1997 ISBN 0 471 29586 8 Hungry Hollow The Story of a Natural Place 1998 ISBN 0 387 98415 1 A Mathematical Mystery Tour Discovering the Truth and Beauty of the Cosmos 2001 ISBN 0 471 40734 8 Beyond Reason Eight Great Problems that Reveal the Limits of Science 2004 ISBN 0 471 01398 6 References edit Obituary of Alexander Keewatin Dewdney The London Free Press March 12 2024 Description of Malanga Four Girls and Scissors Film Makers Coop retrieved 2013 09 16 Wildwood Flower Archived 2015 02 21 at the Wayback Machine directed by Dewdney in 1971 at the Ann Arbor Film Festival March 2013 Atwood Margaret 2011 1966 Some old some new some boring some blew and some picture books Second Words Selected Critical Prose 1960 1982 House of Anansi p 66 ISBN 9781770890107 Preserved Projects Academy Film Archive Stewart P J 2016 Spring 1991 Allegory through the Computing Class Sufism in The Planiverse by A K Dewdney Sufi 9 26 30 retrieved May 10 2017 A K Dewdney website A K Dewdney September 2013 Curriculum Vitae Books and articles A K Dewdney website D G Jones amp A K Dewdney March 1984 Core War guidelines Department of Computer Science The University of Western Ontario Newport Forest Closed Conservation Area The Shape of Biodiversity Recent research amp publications A K Dewdney website Atkins Stephen E 2011 The 9 11 Encyclopedia Second Edition ABC CLIO p 125 ISBN 9781598849219 External links editAlexander Dewdney homepage Keewatin Dewdney at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title A K Dewdney amp oldid 1213580796, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
