Tom joins Yash on the Bytes of Intelligence podcast to talk about pretty much everything! Full list of questions – with timestamps – below.

🔗 Timestamps: (Jump to your favourite topics!)

00:00. – Meet Dr. Tom Crawford: The Mathematician Making Maths Rock! 🎙
01:18 – Tom’s Childhood: How Did His Love for Maths Begin? 👶
02:47. – Why Maths? What Drew Tom Into Numbers? ❓
04:34. – Maths vs English: Logic vs Creativity 📖
05:40. – How Personality Shapes Curiosity & Challenge 🔍
06:30. – Struggling with Maths? How to Get Better! 📈
08:35. – Nature vs Nurture: Can Anyone Master Maths? 🧬
10:17. – Left-Brain vs Right-Brain: Where Does Maths Fit? 🧠
11:02. – Tom’s Path to YouTube Fame: His Formula for Success 📺
14:08. – Teaching a 4-Year-Old Multiplication 🔢
15:10. – Making Maths Relatable & Engaging 🏗
16:42. – Ever Doubted Studying Maths? Tom’s Thoughts 🤔
19:18. – What’s the Point of a Maths Degree? 🎓
22:29. – Is Maths Useless? You Might Be Surprised 🤷
23:08. – The Beauty of Maths: More Than Just Equations 🔍
24:09. – Tom’s PhD: River Flow & Fluid Dynamics 🌊
25:37. – Would Einstein Get Funding Today? 💡
27:14. – PhD vs Industry: Why Tom Chose Academia 🎭
29:39. – Loving What You Do: Tom’s Take on Happiness 💼
31:05. – How Humans Adapt Without Realizing It 🌍
32:53. – What Happens When a River Meets the Ocean? 🌊
35:46. – Breaking a Rowing Record? Do It at the Equator! 🚣
38:52. – Can Maths Optimise Any Industry? 🔢
40:31. – When Maths Matches Reality – Best Part of Problem-Solving 🧩
40:49. – The Maths Behind the Perfect Penalty Kick ⚽
42:11. – Using Maths for Social Good 🌍
45:02. – Tom’s Famous Tattoos & Their Stories 🎨
46:35. – Right-Hand Tattoo: The Basel Problem ✍
48:55. – Tom’s Favourite Recent Tattoo 🖋
50:58. – Left-Hand Tattoos & Their Mathematical Meaning ✒
52:04. – How Would Tom Fix Maths Education? 🏫
52:35. – “When Will I Ever Use Trig?” 📐
53:12. – Maths Is Like a Muscle – Here’s Why 🏋️
54:28. – The Power of Storytelling in Teaching 📖
55:24. – Should A-Level Maths Be Compulsory? 📚
57:10. – How to Become an Oxford/Cambridge Lecturer 🎓
58:40. – Teaching vs Research: Which Is More Rewarding? 🧐
01:00:07. – How Tom Became a Countdown Mathematician 📺
01:02:35. – Did Tom Have to Prep for Countdown? 📝
01:03:24. – Playing Countdown with Dr. Crawford! ⌛
01:04:24. – Countdown Game Begins NOW! 🕰
01:04:55. – Round 1: Feeling the Pressure 🤯
01:06:00. – What It’s Really Like on Live TV 😨
01:07:50. – Round 2: Can We Solve It? 🎲
01:11:47. – Round 3 (Not Really… Oops!) ❌
01:12:28. – Round 3 (For Real This Time) ✔
01:13:32. – Behind the Scenes of Countdown 🎥
01:14:00. – Are Some Problems Just Impossible? 🚧
01:16:32. – Filming Numberphile – Behind the Scenes 🎬
01:18:00. – Navier-Stokes Equation: The Unsolved Mystery 🌊
01:19:30. – The Future of Maths & AI 🤖
01:21:34. – What’s Next for Dr. Crawford? 📅
01:23:34. – One Piece of Advice for STEM Students 🎓
01:24:48. – Tom’s Life Philosophy & Final Thoughts 💡
01:25:33. – Quick Fire Round! Jokes, Travel & Books ⚡
01:27:30. – The Most Beautiful Equation in Maths 💎
01:28:14. – The Best Advice Tom Has Ever Received 📝
01:29:39. – Wrapping Up: Huge Thanks to Dr. Crawford! 🙏