No, that&#x27;s not it. My reasoning is very simple - in all likelihood an extremely advanced mathematician will be incredibly bored by very simple mathematics, and not want to spend much time explaining it clearly.<p>Unless they are that rare commodity - the extraordinarily talented mathematician who can remember what it was like to struggle with the basics and who is able to keep the teaching of concepts simple enough it doesn&#x27;t go over the head of the class, or go too fast - then I would prefer to be taught by someone who cares about imparting the basics of mathematics in an understandable and reasonably paced way.<p>I&#x27;ve been to lectures where a clearly brilliant mathematician was teaching basic maths, and it nearly turned me off maths. You speak of killing wonder: well, there you have it.<p>(P.S. I&#x27;m an Australian who will never get the opportunity to go to Berkeley, and I&#x27;m definitely not bitter! If I was doing highly advanced math, then in that case I&#x27;d want a Fields medallist teaching me!)