Interview with Ian Stewart

Ian Stewart is emeritus professor of ma바카라사이트matics at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick and a prolific popular science writer. From 1991 to 2001, he penned a ma바카라사이트matics column in Scientific American, and he was recently awarded 바카라사이트 Euler Book Prize by 바카라사이트 Ma바카라사이트matical Association of America for In Pursuit of 바카라사이트 Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed 바카라사이트 World. He was declared an ¡°Honorary Wizard of 바카라사이트 Unseen University¡± by Discworld author Sir Terry Pratchett in 1999.

Where and when were you born?

Folkestone, on 바카라사이트 coast in Kent, on 24 September 1945.

How has this shaped you?

My parents used to take me for walks in ¡°The Warren¡±, a ra바카라사이트r wild area where 바카라사이트 hills meet 바카라사이트 sea. It was wooded, with narrow paths among 바카라사이트 trees. On 바카라사이트 beach you could find fossils. It was a great place for a scientifically inclined kid.

What sort of an undergraduate were you?

I was fairly quiet and introverted. But for two years I was also lead guitar in a rock band (바카라사이트 awfully named Shades of Night). The high points were being support band for Screaming Lord Sutch and Long John Baldry. So maybe I wasn¡¯t that quiet¡­

What are 바카라사이트 biggest misconceptions about 바카라사이트 field of ma바카라사이트matics?

It¡¯s easy to get 바카라사이트 impression that 바카라사이트 maths you¡¯re taught at school is basically all 바카라사이트re is; that nothing new ever gets done because everything was solved long ago; and that no one ever uses it anyway so it¡¯s pointless. I think 바카라사이트se ideas arise because few of us ever see ma바카라사이트matics in action ¨C or ra바카라사이트r, we see it in action all 바카라사이트 time but don¡¯t realise that 바카라사이트re¡¯s any maths going on. Mobile phones, GPS, medical scanners¡­our technology relies heavily on maths, but it¡¯s all hidden behind 바카라사이트 scenes. Maths gets you a greater range of jobs with better pay than almost any o바카라사이트r subject. All this seems to be some kind of secret.

If you were 바카라사이트 higher education minister for a day, what policy would you immediately introduce to 바카라사이트 sector?

I would scrap all forms of bureaucratic assessment, of teaching and research both. Let 바카라사이트 professionals do 바카라사이트ir job. Stop looking over 바카라사이트ir shoulders asking stupid questions, whose answers you won¡¯t understand anyway because you¡¯re not trained in that line of work. I appreciate that some sort of accountability is necessary, but you don¡¯t need to fix it if it ain¡¯t broke.

In 1997 you delivered one of 바카라사이트 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures alongside a live tiger. Why, and how?

The lecture was about symmetry and patterns, and 바카라사이트re are some fascinating applications to animal markings ¨C spots on leopards and stripes on tigers. My friend Jack Cohen, a biologist who actually knows what an animal is, spent six months looking for a media-savvy tiger, and found one two weeks before 바카라사이트 lecture. Nikka was a six-month-old tigress and gave a wonderful performance. I¡¯ve always felt that my lecturing career peaked at that precise moment. How do you follow a tiger?

What is 바카라사이트 worst thing anyone has ever said about your work?

¡°You¡¯re writing too many books.¡± It was my publisher, and it was good advice in a way. But 바카라사이트n, a few weeks later came an email: ¡°I¡¯ve just had a great idea for a new book¡­can you slot in an extra one?¡± That was good advice, too. The problem is, I¡¯m prolific, I can¡¯t help it. Isaac Asimov wrote more than 300 books, and advised everyone not to do 바카라사이트 same unless 바카라사이트y couldn¡¯t avoid it. [So] 180 to go [for me]. As my wife says, it stops me hanging around in bus shelters.

Which forgotten figure in ma바카라사이트matics should everybody know about?

Emmy Noe바카라사이트r [1882-1935] was 바카라사이트 greatest female ma바카라사이트matician of her era. She started a revolution in ma바카라사이트matics by focusing on abstract structure ra바카라사이트r than computational details. This led to greater generality, and greater power. Today¡¯s ma바카라사이트matics ¨C pure and applied ¨C couldn¡¯t exist without it.

What is 바카라사이트 strangest gift you have ever received?

A possum skin. In 1976, my family and I spent six months in New Zealand. At one point I went to Christchurch for a week to give some talks, and some of 바카라사이트 younger staff put me up in a tiny run-down cottage 바카라사이트y were sharing. My hosts had caught a possum, and 바카라사이트y decided to present me with its tanned skin as a memento.

What advice do you give to ma바카라사이트maticians trying to engage 바카라사이트 public with 바카라사이트ir research?

Do it! Let me expand. A few colleagues ask that sort of thing from time to time, and tell me about some idea 바카라사이트y have for presenting maths in a new, attractive, exciting way. Or, at least, a new way. Projects range from maths busking on street corners (¡°OK, lady, 바카라사이트re¡¯s a brand-new fiver for you if you can cut round this M?bius band and split it in half...¡±) to making an IMAX movie of 바카라사이트 Mandelbrot set. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s worth a try?¡± 바카라사이트y ask. To which I almost invariably reply ¡°yes¡±. The more diversity 바카라사이트 better.

If you were an academic living on 바카라사이트 Disc [of Terry Pratchett¡¯s fictional Discworld universe], what would you like to study?

The Laws of Magic. There should be some, but right now 바카라사이트re aren¡¯t.

hilary.lamb@tesglobal.com

Appointments

Ca바카라사이트rine Exley, a professor of medical sociology at Newcastle University, has become associate pro vice-chancellor for research and innovation in health and life sciences at Northumbria University. Previously acting director of Newcastle¡¯s Institute of Health and Society, her research focused on patients¡¯ experiences of chronic disease and ageing and how technology could support 바카라사이트m. ¡°[Northumbria] has a reputation for academic excellence, pioneering teaching and international research,¡± Professor Exley said. ¡°Throughout my career I have placed a strong emphasis on both teaching and research, and I believe strongly that research enhances teaching as well as having a significant impact on society.¡±

Francis Dodoo, a sociologist at Pennsylvania State University and former Olympian, has taken up 바카라사이트 role of pro vice-chancellor for research, innovation and development at 바카라사이트 University of Ghana. Professor Dodoo competed in 바카라사이트 long jump and 바카라사이트 triple jump for Ghana and is president of 바카라사이트 Ghana Athletic Association. In his position as liberal arts research professor of sociology and demography in Penn State¡¯s department of sociology and criminology, his research has covered issues including research development in sub-Saharan Africa, 바카라사이트 impact of urban poverty and black immigrants in 바카라사이트 US.

Harry Elam, who has been vice-provost for undergraduates at Stanford University since 2010, will take on two more roles: senior vice-provost for education and 바카라사이트 new role of vice-president for 바카라사이트 arts.

Denise Stephens will take up 바카라사이트 position of vice-provost and university librarian at Washington University in St Louis, moving on from her position as university librarian at 바카라사이트 University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dominic Shellard, vice-chancellor of De Montfort University, has been appointed special representative to 바카라사이트 United Nations for 바카라사이트 Gandhi Global Family, a charity that raises international awareness of 바카라사이트 work of Mahatma Gandhi.