About this day
Do your students wonder what mathematicians do?
At our interactive and inspirational day for KS4 students they will discover how classroom maths is used by people every day in fields from statistics, engineering and cyber security to research mathematics. Five renowned speakers from universities, industries and the media reveal mathematics at its very best and your students will have a whole lot of fun along the way!
Programme & speakers
The Simpsons and their mathematical secrets Simon Singh, Writer and broadcaster
The Simpsons is probably the most successful show in television history. Simon will explain how a team of mathematically gifted writers have covered everything from calculus to geometry, from pi to game theory, and from infinitesimals to infinity in The Simpsons.
About Simon Singh
Simon is an author and broadcaster. His books include Fermat’s Last Theorem, The Code Book, The Big Bang, Trick or Treatment and most recently The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets.
Lies, damned lies, and newspapers Emily Grossman, Broadcaster
Can we believe everything we read in the papers? In this highly interactive and amusing talk, Dr Emily Grossman takes a light-hearted look at these issues, illustrated with examples from her own experience as a TV science broadcaster.
About Emily Grossman
Emily is a bestselling science author, internationally acclaimed public speaker and TV personality. She is best known for explaining science stuff on her fun YouTube videos and on TV shows such as Sky1’s Duck Quacks Don’t Echo (hosted by Lee Mack).
Enigma and the secret world of code breaking James Grime, Mathematician and communicator
Dr James Grime looks at the fascinating history and mathematics of codes and code breaking – from ancient Greece to the present day – including a demonstration of an original WWII Enigma Machine!
About James Grime
Dr James Grime is a mathematician and public speaker. James runs The Enigma Project, travelling the world giving public talks on the history and mathematics of code breaking. He is also a presenter on the Numberphile YouTube channel.
A special session of practical maths Colin Wright, Mathematician and juggler
Several games played by children of all ages turn have connections between them, and investigating those connections has turned up surprising results. In this interactive workshop we play some of the games, see the connections, and discover unsolved problems.
About Colin Wright
Colin received his maths doctorate in 1990 from Cambridge University. While at Cambridge he also learned how to fire-breathe, unicycle, juggle and ballroom dance.
Brain Inspired Computing Stephen Lynch, Manchester Metropolitan University
The average human brain consists of about 100 billion neurons connected by around a thousand trillion synapses – it’s the most powerful computer known. Steve will introduce a way to perform conventional computing using brain dynamics!
About Stephen Lynch
Stephen is a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. He is a world leader in the use of Maths packages in teaching, learning, assessment, research and employability.