> For one dollar a lottery player purchases entertainment and maybe even a bit of optimism for a little bit of time.
And above all there is gambling, the cheapest of all
luxuries. Even people on the verge of starvation can
buy a few days' hope ('Something to live for', as they
call it) by having a penny on a sweepstake.
-- George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier, chapter 5
Except that quote is only really relevant when the gambling is done on a repetitive basis. For many, this was the first and possibly/probably, the only time they decide to play the lottery.
This lottery only garnered so much attention because of the high jackpot, however even that was an anomaly. For most people who pay the lottery repeatedly, yes, it is a 'tax'; however many people who are more than capable of figuring the odds, still decided to play this jackpot - if only for the chance of winning.
Apologies for bad grammar, on a 48 hour day and my 2 cups of coffee isn't jump-starting my brain.
I was going to suggest this, it's excellent and exactly what you're talking about. He encourages creation as it gives you a focus and goal for consuming online. Great stuff.
It's more physics than pure maths, but artist & art critic Matthew Collings made a documentary for the BBC called "Beautiful Equations". More info here:
Since 2009 he has curated examples at http://blogs.independent.co.uk/tag/headline/