About this day
For A-level, IB, BTEC Level 3 and T Level maths students
Join us this autumn for an exciting day at Maths in Action, featuring informative discussions, interactive sessions, and inspiring stories. Our line-up of experienced speakers—including industry leaders, academics and communicators —will offer expert insights and share their real-world experiences, covering topics across pure and applied mathematics.
The day will also include a special session on examination success designed to provide students with the tools that they need to excel. With polls and quizzes throughout the day and plenty of opportunities to ask the speakers questions, this is an unmissable day, and we look forward to welcoming you and your students. Book now for Maths in Action!
Host: Sophie Maclean (Mathematician and Communicator) Exam session: Nicole Cozens (Maths Educator)
“A great day! Kept the students attention, without trivialising the content!”
– Tiffin School –
Programme & speakers
How to get rich quick Sophie Maclean, Mathematician and Communicator
Being able to determine the future is a great way to get money. From fairground games to the stock market, knowing what will happen is a great advantage. But even if we don’t know for certain, statistics and probability can help us make valuable predictions. In this session, Sophie gives an introduction to the world of finance and shares some of the Maths she used working as a trader.
About Sophie Maclean
Sophie is a Maths Communicator and a member of the team behind Chalkdust Magazine. She has previously worked as a Quantitative Trader, a Software Engineer, and a Maths tutor.
From Symphony to the Sea Kat Phillips, Innovation Research Associate and Maths Communicator, University of Warwick
Embark on a mathematical journey unraveling the rhythmic harmonies of sound waves, the fluid dynamics of water waves, and their unity through the wave equation. We’ll explore the mathematics governing these rich and complex behaviours through a hands on approach!
About Dr Kat Phillips
Kat is a mathematician at University of Warwick working with the Centre for Applications of Mathematics & Computer Science. When she’s not doing research, you can find her promoting maths on twitch, and having conversations about STEM in everyday life.
Nim, Officers, and Other Games Colin Wright, Mathematician and Juggler
People are familiar with all sorts of games, but as we start to look at them with an analytical eye we sometimes find connections and similarities. In this workshop we play a few games, look for connections, and finish with a result that’s genuinely almost too good to be true.
About Dr Colin Wright
Colin received his maths doctorate in 1990 from Cambridge University. While at Cambridge he also learned how to fire-breathe, unicycle, juggle and ballroom dance.
Risk and reward Alison Kiddle, Maths Communicator
When we make decisions, we weigh up risks against potential rewards, but humans are notoriously bad at estimating how likely events are. Find out how probability and statistics let us find certainty in an unpredictable world, and discover whether mathematics helped Alison find fame and fortune when they appeared on the TV quiz show Who Wants to Be A Millionaire last year!
About Alison Kiddle
Alison is a mathematician and educator from the East of England. As well as travelling round the UK and abroad to talk about maths, Alison designs puzzles, writes about maths, and creates mathematical art and craft.
Numbers in the News Zoe Griffiths, Maths communicator
In a world of fake news it’s important to be able to think critically about what we are told in the media. This thought-provoking and amusing talk takes students on a tour of statistics and numbers from real news stories. The talk includes audience interaction, including a game and a live experiment, and will inspire the statisticians of the future, and empower your students to make informed decisions in their own lives.
About Zoe Griffiths
Zoe Griffiths is a mathematician who travels the UK and internationally giving talks and workshops in schools (through Think Maths), at science festivals and comedy nights. Zoe has talked about maths in places ranging from the Numberphile YouTube channel to BBC Radio 4. Before entering the world of maths communication, Zoe worked as a classroom maths teacher and is still a teacher at heart.