Tommaths (he/him) 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

There's a lot of pressure from wider society to believe that maths is just about magically knowing what to do rather than learning to enjoy feeling your way in the dark.

... confidence to work that way is another matter entirely. Working with kids who are trying to break through to those higher grades is often about getting them past not starting unless you can see the finish line.

I think I agree with both of you, here (as a secondary school teacher, which I think is roughly equivalent to high school): the ideal is that we're dipping into a toolkit and finding our way, but getting the kids to the point where (a) they see that that's the way to do it and (b) to have the...

High school algebra is specifically designed to make it possible to think LESS. You want to solve an equation, and you don’t come up with a big plan, you just decide what to do next and worry about what to do after that later. And you write it on paper so you don’t have to hold it in your head.

#MathsToday

The Mathematicians' Library - Chalkdust We review the first of this year’s nominees for Book of the Year

It's just come to my attention that _The Mathematicians' Library_ is shortlisted for @chalkdustmag.bsky.social's Book of the Year 2025.

It's got quite some company! Merely being on that list is a privilege, and I'll take it, thanks.

(Cast your vote here: chalkdustmagazine.com/book-of-the-... )

Women Who Count: Honoring African American Women Mathematicians

@teakayb.mathsy.space there's an ebook available from American Mathematical Society.
bookstore.ams.org/view?Product...

"My teacher said..."

No. At no point did any maths teacher say that, ever. No maths teacher has ever uttered those words in that order. It simply didn't happen.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that what follows "I was taught..." in a social media post or comment tends to bring the veracity of that initial claim into question.

#worldbookday | Thomas K. Briggs, AMIMA I had an interesting day out at CILIP, the library and information association Midlands' Members' Fest in Birmingham, as CILIP Midlands' Mathematician-in-Residence. Chatting to library folk is always...

(For #WorldBookDay I visited two libraries, and this was taken at one of them! www.linkedin.com/posts/tkbrig...)

A person with shoulder-length hair, round glasses, and a short beard stands beside a tall bookshelf packed with science and mathematics books. Wearing a dark T-shirt and green checked shirt, they gesture with an open hand towards a shelf labelled “M.2 Physics”, as if presenting the collection. Nearby shelves are labelled with other subjects such as maths and astronomy above, and natural history and evolution below, while colourful book spines— including titles by Carl Sagan and Martin Rees—line the wooden shelves behind them

This #WorldBookDay, here's the author of The Mathematicians' Library in a library with some maths books.

uk.bookshop.org/a/16778/9781...

That looks great! But it doesn't seem to be in Bookshop.org's database 😔

Good point; it's enough that it's written by a woman in maths!

Thank you! I've added the ones I can find :-)

Books by and about Women in Mathematics Checkout out this list on Bookshop

International Womens Day is this Sunday, so I thought I'd compile a list of books by and about Women in Mathematics.

The most important question I have for you is: What's missing?

uk.bookshop.org/lists/books-...

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I've been reading PaulinaRowinska's Mapmatics for ages, because I've been reading it in parallel with other non-fiction books, which is a terrible habit of mine. Having concentrated on finishing the Conway book last month, this is next in line. So far it's a fas...

I've read The War of the Worlds before, but I got this lovely clothbound version for Christmas and it's the next fiction book that I'm starting. I don't read many physical works of fiction these days, so it's nice to do so with a version that feels particularly in...
www.instagram.com/p/DVWc8LNDG2l/

I've been reading Genius at Play for literally *years*. It's one of a few non-fiction books I've been reading in parallel, and I've decided to focus on one (well, fewer) at a time so that I can actually get through them.

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February's reading: not a lot, but consistent daily reading. The blip on the third is an anomaly caused by logging an individual version of the Zelazny book after reading the story as part of a compendium that I didn't want to continue with immediately.
www.instagram.com/p/DVWJshFjAGB/

Now I'm wondering how many of them have actually *been* teachers. I know Greg Davies has, but I don't know about the rest.

#MiltonKeynes #MK

Just my occasional casting of a line into the murky waters of social media to see if I can catch some new connections in * Milton Keynes * ... It'd be good to get to know a few more people with similar interests & mindsets locally!

I forgot my earphones when I went out yesterday and got a reminder of why I wear my earphones when I go out. Walking around in public with all that noise just allowed to hit your eardrums is so anxiety-inducing!

I think that's the complement, but not necessarily the opposite... Maybe?

Reform's 'policies' are wall-to-wall reinforcement of the beliefs of their little sect, but of course it's only a bad thing when you're losing, isn't it?

This is how UK politics has worked since I could vote. Most people support 'their' political party like they support their football team: it doesn't really matter what any of them say or do; they're your team and you support them whilst trashing the others.

Farage (etc) are citing their loss yesterday as evidence of 'sectarian voting'.

"Sectarian voting is a pattern of electoral behavior where citizens cast votes based on religious, ethnic, or sectarian identity rather than on policies, ideology, or candidate competence."

What's the opposite of nominative determinism? Like when someone called "Goodwin" is a really bad loser, for example?

I'm interested in space as well as maths. In fact, I think I'm interested in maths *because* I'm interested in space. You can only get so far with an interest in space if you're not open to letting maths in too.

I don't know about where you are, but here there are really clear skies. Just in case: go outside; look up. It's glorious.