Episode description

If I said the word “mathematics”, it is a fairly safe bet that reactions would be mixed. While many people love maths, the subject can provoke quite a different response in others. It is common for folks to be transported back in time to childhood memories of formulae written on classroom whiteboards in what feels like a different language.

However, mathematician, concert pianist, and author Dr Eugenia Cheng – is on a mission to change that perception of the subject she loves and showcase the joy, creativity and wonder of maths, and how it underpins our everyday lives, from the food we eat to the entertainment we consume. Dr Suze Kundu caught up with Eugenia ahead of her talk at the Ri in June 2024 in the spectacular Faraday Lecture Theatre to talk about the creativity, wonder and relatability of maths, and how we can all engage with it in ways that bring us joy.

Read more here⁠ and ⁠watch the episode here⁠.

Series lead and interviewer: ⁠Dr Suze Kundu⁠, Director of Researcher and Community Engagement, ⁠Digital Science⁠. Filming and production support: Huw James, Science Story Lab. Filmed in the Faraday Lecture Theatre at The Royal Institution. Recorded in June 2024.