We were thrilled and honoured to welcome Dr Simon Singh MBE, renowned maths and science author, physicist and journalist, to The Marist this week.

Dr Singh’s bestselling books include ‘Fermat’s Last Theorem’, ‘Big Bang’, ‘The Code Book’, ‘The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets’ and ‘Trick or Treatment’, to name just a few.

During his visit, Dr Singh delivered two captivating talks. The first was a short, highly interactive session for thirty students in Years 6-9 titled ‘Brain-Busting Puzzles’. Together, they solved many of Dr Singh’s favourite puzzles, mnemonics and pangrams. The overrunning theme was to think differently to successfully solve problems.

Later in the afternoon, Dr Singh presented to Years 10-13, along with selected students from St Andrew’s School, Crossfields, and Gordon’s School. In this session, ‘From Theorems to Serums, From Cryptography to Cosmology… and The Simpsons’, we heard an overview of the theorems that Dr Singh has explored throughout his books. Whether it is the hidden maths in The Simpsons or Fermat’s Last Theorem, he emphasised the ability for mathematic and scientific methodologies to achieve objective answers.

This was a unique opportunity, and our students were inspired by Dr Singh’s engaging and passionate delivery. It was wonderful to find out more about complex topics and mathematics in popular culture.

 

Read what our students thought about this event:

‘The Simon Singh math talk was really fun!! Also, it made me think outside of the box and it really made me think hard, it was an amazing and unforgettable experience!!! I’m definitely going to quiz my family!’ – Grace, Year 7

‘I really enjoyed being able to solve the puzzles and riddles.’ – From Jess F, Year 7

‘I love how interesting and fun all the brain teasers are and it is my favourite part so overall it taught me how to think outside the box and it was very helpful.’ – Miya, Year 7

‘I really liked all the brain teasers because they were really challenging and fun! Thank you for the opportunity!’ – Ana, Year 7

‘I really enjoyed the Dr Simon Singh talk and the maths riddles really needed you to think outside the box. It was such a nice experience and I’m glad I could come!’ – Gracie, Year 8

‘On Tuesday, Simon Singh, physicist, mathematician and author came in and taught us about games and puzzles and how to solve them. We learnt about how the question is not always about the obvious answer. An example of this was a question where you had to figure out what the missing word was (the answer was quiz because it was made of the letters that hadn’t already been used), but the question was called ‘Missing Word Quiz’ so the clue was literally in the title. My favourite questions were the maths/logic questions, e.g. what number is between a cubed and a squared number? (26). The main takeaway that I will use for all riddles and puzzles in the future however is always think outside of the box as sometimes the answer is closer than you think. Overall, I loved the presentation and hope Simon Singh can come back soon!’ – Edie A, Year 8

‘I absolutely loved Simon Singh’s talk to our year and I was so grateful for the opportunity to meet him. His talk was not only interesting, but it was also fun and engaging with the problems he gave us. It changed my perspective on maths completely. Before, I thought that there can only a right and a wrong with set of rules to each question, but now I see how creative the process can be and that there are so many new ideas for each problem. Overall, I loved the experience so much and I know look forward to my birthday when I can ask for one of his books.’ – Coco, Year 8

‘It was an insightful lecture that was very inspiring, I particularly enjoyed the part about ‘bible code’ because it was very interesting how they found out that it was a coincidence. I am very grateful to have had the chance to listen to the lecture and get my book signed, I was amazed by every second of it!’ – Lily K, Year 11

‘We all really liked the concept of how the arrangement of letters allows our minds to fill in gaps and arrive at the intended meaning. This highlights the importance of understanding the underlying facts behind what we perceive, rather than relying on biased interpretations, and how the supernatural can be disproved mathematically. I liked how Dr Singh emphasised the incredible achievements possible when we dedicate ourselves to mathematics for an extended period, much like Andrew Wiles, who spent eight years proving Fermat’s Last Theorem.’ – Phoebe, Charlie and Alessia, Year 12

Many thanks to the Maths Department for organising this event, and to Tata Comms Media generously sponsored it. Thanks also to St Andrew’s School, Crossfields School and Gordon’s School for joining us for this exciting opportunity.