Welcome to something new
I have learned to dread that inevitable dinner party question of “What Do You Do?”
Mainly because the first part of my answer – “I’m a professor in mathematics at University College London” often results in an immediate recoil of horror. I get it. People have a visceral reaction to science and mathematics that seems to lean to one extreme or the other. You either really love it - or you despise it. Both sides say the topic transports them back to their school years with those that hate it calling up visions of stuffy academics claiming authority and lecturing them on facts and figures.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Those that love it instead often remember with affection a teacher that enthused them and helped them discover their own joyful fascination with the world of STEM. These are the people that appreciate the bizarre mysteries of biology alongside the beautiful imperfection of pi. These are the people that can take any one topic and go off on a multitude of tangents. These are my people.
In my side hustle as an author and television and radio presenter (which started as a tangent itself, but is now a truly fulfilling second career), I try to reignite that spark and spread the word about how interesting and weird and wonderful science can be. Through it, I have had the joyous privilege to experience and explore an absolutely massive range of topics. Although math(s) is still my high school sweetheart, I have to admit to being massively intellectually promiscuous.
Which means that over the years I have come across so many science facts and stories and I have collected them like my personal treasure trove of precious gems.
It feels like having a juicy bit of gossip that you just can’t wait to share with your best friend and pour it all out. But books and articles and documentaries can’t seem to scratch that itch. Producers (rightfully so) don’t like it when you just go off on a tangent. So I have decided to create this substack as a place to share all of those juicy things I come across that delight me – but I don’t otherwise get to tell.
What to expect:
I make no claims this will be cohesive or thematic for any length of time. I can’t promise it will be particularly cutting edge or breaking news. But I can promise that once a week you’ll receive a playfully irreverent (but painstakingly researched) romp through juicy information that will speak to your intellectual heart.
I hope to keep as much as possible free to everyone. But I’m also aware that writing and researching – especially when it’s something complex that needs careful and clear explanation – takes a considerable amount of time and effort. So for those of you that are willing and able to take on a paid subscription, I will try to keep it as cheap as possible and in return will be present behind the scenes for chats and answering questions as often as I can with extra video and audio content where possible. I’m really looking forward to building up a community of conversation and open dialogue.
Above all I hope it will be interesting and fun – and leave you digging into rabbit holes and running off on tangents of your own.
