Following Pearson in 1905, we study the expected distance of a two-dimensional walk in the plane with unit steps in random directions---what Pearson called a "ramble". A series evaluation and recursions are obtained making it possible to explicitly determine this distance for small number of steps. Closed form expressions for all the moments of a 2-step and a 3-step walk are given, and a formula is conjectured for the 4-step walk. Heavy use is made of the analytic continuation of the underlying integral.

The mathematical research community is facing a great challenge to re-evaluate the role of proof in light of the growing power of current computer systems, of modern mathematical computing packages, and of the growing capacity to data-mine on the Internet. Add to that the enormous complexity of many modern capstone results such as the Poincare conjecture, Fermat's last theorem, and the Classification of finite simple groups. As the need and prospects for inductive mathematics blossom, the requirement to ensure the role of proof is properly founded remains undiminished. I shall look at the philosophical context with examples and then offer some of five bench-marking examples of the opportunities and challenges we face.