Celebrate all things maths with Dr Tom Crawford and friends. Hear from fellow YouTuber Simon Clark about the mathematics of climate change; solve puzzles with best-selling author Rob Eastaway; and explore the fun-side of maths with Numberphile presenters Sophie Maclean, and the one-and-only James Grime. A lineup for the true maths fans!

There are no pre-requisites – an interest in maths and a desire for knowledge are all that is required.

How this lecture series will work

Each speaker will give a 1-hour pre-recorded lecture, which will be livestreamed (with an interactive element) each week at 7-8.30pm BST (UTC+1). All the lectures will then remain available to review until Thursday 11 July (so you can watch at whatever time suits your schedule). The full programme is outlined below.

Programme details

Thursday 6 June 2024
The equation that ruined my life (for four years)
Simon Clark

Most of my PhD was spent bashing my head against a brick wall of how to solve one, deceptively simple, equation. How hard can it be to disentangle the influence of different parts of the atmosphere on the surface? In order to answer that question, I will introduce you to the basics of atmospheric dynamics, numerical problem solving, and how a PhD teaches you to think like a scientist (and own your mistakes).

Thursday 13 June 2024
“I wasn’t expecting that…”
Rob Eastaway

As humans we depend on our intuition to make many of our decisions. And most of the time it works. But when intuition doesn’t work it can go spectacularly wrong. Rob Eastaway reveals some of his favourite examples, including several that relate to everyday situations, and reflects on why mathematicians so often seem to delight in the counter-intuitive.  Brace yourself for some surprises… and be prepared to get things wrong.

Thursday 20 June 2024
How to get rich quick
Sophie Maclean

From fairground games to the stock market, knowing what will happen is a great advantage. In this session, Sophie gives an introduction to the world of finance and shares some of the Maths she used working as a trader.

Thursday 27 June 2024
Alan Turing and the Enigma Machine
James Grime

Alan Turing is best remembered as one of the leading code breakers of Bletchley Park during World War II. It was Turing’s brilliant insights and mathematical mind that helped to break Enigma, the apparently unbreakable code used by the German military. We present a history of both Alan Turing and the Enigma machine, leading to this triumph of mathematical ingenuity.

Thursday 4 July 2024
Pokemaths: the maths of the video game
Tom Crawford

How many Pikachus does it take to power a lightbulb? How much do you need to feed your pet Charizard? And why does the world of Pokémon seem to ignore the basic laws of physics? Dr Tom Crawford looks at the maths of one of the world’s favourite video games.