For a mathematical physicist such as myself, for whom "number" means a real or complex number, working with an algebraist is a bit hallucinatory. I say "the octonions" and they say "which octonions?" For them, an octonion algebra is a general concept. If I try to understand it and how you classify these things, I'm quickly sucked into etale cohomology and other eldritch horrors. Actually I'm starting to like this stuff - but I don't really understand it. So it's like being in a dream where you're trying to walk to the bathroom but for some reason you first need to clamber down a ladder while holding an octopus.

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