A group of mathematicians is hitting the streets of Manchester this week in a bid to win over shoppers and passers-by, combining the seemingly disparate worlds of mathematics and busking.
The event is part of the first ever UK conference on how academic mathematicians can communicate their work to the wider public. The conference, How to Talk Maths in Public: a conference on public engagement will be held at the University of Manchester on 8 and 9 June. It will be attended by over 90 mathematicians from academe, industry, schools and FE colleges hoping to improve their skills at communicating their work.
Professor Chris Budd, from the University of Bath, co-chair of the organising committee, explained, “Maths affects all of our lives in many different ways and can be a lot of fun - but not everyone appreciates this. This conference will challenge mathematicians to communicate this maths message. At the same time, the need for professional engagement with the public in mathematics has never been greater. Economically, the need for more mathematically trained people is growing, there are massive shortages of trained mathematics teachers and many people do believe standards in mathematics at GCSE and A-level are dropping.”
The conference will include how-to sessions from leading communicators of mathematics, including: Marcus du Sautoy, Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford; Ian Stewart, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick, a prolific writer and one-time collaborator with science-fiction author Terry Pratchett; and Simon Singh, a writer and journalist with a strong interest in mathematics.
Delegates will consider questions such as “Can a respectable mathematician engage with the public?” and “How much maths is too much?” The second day of the conference will feature their very own Maths X Factor talent competition – appropriately called the ex factor
