Posted: Monday 15 February 2010
Mathematics and Science in the Modern World
Journalist Simon Singh was one of four speakers who attracted hundreds of pupils from schools across Scotland, including Larbert High School and Campbelltown Grammar School, Dollar Academy and George Watson's College, to attend a colloquium organised by the Maths department on 9 February.
The lectures were fantastic. Simon Singh's was particularly interesting and engaging. Julia Collins' lecture on Knot theory was new to me.
The four speakers were Adam McBride, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Strathclyde; Julia Collins (left), studying for a PhD in Algebraic Topology at the University of Edinburgh; Guy Houlsby (right), Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Oxford; and Simon Singh, author, journalist and TV producer.
The variety of speakers made Maths more appealing and interesting to a large and mixed audience. It was insightful to see how Maths is applied to many different fields, for example, topology, which I had never heard of.
Julia Collins, a PhD student at Edinburgh already making a name for herself through her work into Knot Theory, is also a STEM ambassador, inspiring children and young people to enjoy Science, Techology, Engineering and Maths.
Professor Guy Houlsby presented a lot of actual facts and figures to put global warming in perspective - something that speakers on climate change rarely give.
Professor Guy Houslby spoke on Climate Change and energy supply and Dr Simon Singh dazzled the audience with his application of maths and science to 'real-world' issues.
Simon Singh presented a convincing talk about how Maths could really be interesting, relevant and exciting. I would be happy to hear more!
The lectures allowed us to see the uses of Maths in fields I hadn't realised were related, such as knots and journalism.
The variety of speakers made Maths more appealing and interesting to a large and mixed audience. It was insightful to see how Maths is applied to many different fields, for example, topology, which I had never heard of.
Head of Maths Mary Teresa Fyfe with Professor Adam McBride from Strathclyde University.