Category Archive: General

Mathematics is vital!

[This is a painful post to write and probably to read, I attempt to soften the blow by including some geometric construction projects I have been working on!] I write this as a… Continue reading

The Future We Deserve: Solar Photovoltaic Energy Replication

The Future we Deserve is a book project, bringing together thinkers and makers to provide their visions of the future. I have contributed a piece on education, and there are many, many exciting… Continue reading

Computers beat the devil?

I am a little behind the times on this, but Dave Richeson recently posted a quote from Michael Atiyah: Algebra is the offer made by the devil to the mathematician. The devil says:… Continue reading

Markets and Mushrooms

I am at a conference in China and a couple of days ago we visited the market in the centre of Guangzhou. I took the chance to take some photos: Some of it… Continue reading

Would an Alternative Vote make a difference?

[Update 10/5/10: For a far less back of the envelope calculation, based on a poll including second intention rather than guesswork, you can look at this study from the Electoral Reform Society. They… Continue reading

Hexayurts and African Villages

As you may have guessed I am a fan of mathematics. Numbers themselves leave me cold, however. Even some of the great quests of modern mathematics can occasionally appear to me simply as… Continue reading

My dream Royal Institution

Edit 24/1/13The RI crisis returns with the recent announcement that the buildings might have to be sold. Some are calling for clear statements of visions for the future, so I believe that this… Continue reading

The Laws of Gelada (How to be a grad student)

Laws of graduate school to help you become a misbehaved top scientist.

Recent and current projects

I seem to be working on quite a few things at the moment so I thought I would collect a list of them together for those who might be interested. Firstly the course… Continue reading

LMS internet communication 2

As promised here is a draft of my article on ideas for the LMS and using the internet for society communication. Please comment! Currently the LMS has two main mean of communication. The… Continue reading

How to write machines

If you compare computer skills to literacy are we teaching them just to read when they also need to write?

Laptops are not the problem…

I take on Doron Zeilberger on laptops and talks