INI newsletter - October 2019 No Images? Click here (above) Autumn colours beside INI's main entrance. INI NEWS BULLETIN Dear friends, associates and supporters of INI, Welcome to the October 2019 edition of our monthly news bulletin. In this release you will find the following seven stories: 1. NEW SCIENTIST LIVE: for the third year running, INI showcased UK mathematics to 40,000+ visitors at the "world's greatest science festival". Would you like to direct colleagues or associates to our newsletter sign-up page? Simply forward them this link: bit.ly/inisignup Contact: communications@newton.ac.uk Participants in the workshop "Complex analysis in mathematical physics and applications", 28 October - 1 November 2019. 1. NEW SCIENTIST LIVE: for the third year running, INI showcased UK mathematics to 40,000+ visitors at the "world's greatest science festival". (above) INI staff member Paul Brabbins helps a New Scientist Live attendee (plus parent) solve a branded puzzle cube at this year's show. For the third time since 2017, INI and the Newton Gateway to Mathematics took part in the New Scientist Live exposition at London's ExCel centre. Combined on a single stand alongside three other partners (the Operational Research Society, the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications and the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences), the Institute and Gateway embraced this unparalleled opportunity for public engagement to spread awareness of the UK's vibrant mathematics community and its own role within it. Between the five partners, close to 8,000 branded puzzle cubes were distributed to show visitors over its four-day run, whilst the "Summer Maths Puzzles" (see below) initiative was used to further engage attendees in the pleasure of basic mathematical problem solving. Thanks in large part to 13 different volunteers from amongst INI and Gateway staff, the stand was expertly run and myriad conversations and engagements of potentially highly significant outcome with visitors of all ages were undertaken. According to the New Scientist Live team's own figures, over 120 talks across the event's seven stages took place throughout the long weekend, 150 exhibits were present and more than 40,000 "professionals, families and science lovers" were in attendance. 2. KIRK FELLOWSHIPS: read and listen to inspiring interviews with all five women mathematicians awarded the inaugural Kirk Distinguished Visiting Fellowships. (above) The five recipients of this year's Kirk Distinguished Visiting Fellowship: (L to R) Svitlana Mayboroda, Irene Fonseca, Claudia Sagastizabal, Donatella Marini, Lesley Ward. As covered in previous bulletins, 2019 has seen the establishment of the Kirk Distinguished Visting Fellowships scheme. This fellowship has provided funding for one senior and influential mathematician per programme in the style of the existing Rothschild Distinguished Visiting Fellowships, but with the recipients being chosen from under-represented groups within higher mathematical research. In this first year of the Fellowship, all five recipients have been women - a move which INI hopes will help to address the historical gender imbalance that persists within the science. As each of the five mathematicians has visited the Institute we have endeavoured to interview each one. That project is now complete and, through two written and three audio interviews (as well as with an extra written interview with Dr Ewan Kirk whose generous £250,000 donation made the scheme possible), we hope that you will enjoy learning about each of these remarkable people and the important research contributions they have made during their time at INI. Please click the following links or the green button below to discover more about the 2019 Kirk Fellows, in their own words. > INTERVIEW: click here to read Dr Ewan Kirk's thoughts on on research, philanthropy and the the foundation of the Kirk Distinguished Visiting Fellowships scheme 3. PODCASTS OF THE MONTH: three fascinating talks ranging from mathematical patterns within music, to the joy of running, to the importance of peer support within academia. We are able to offer three fascinating podcast interviews this month - one of which includes the rare pleasure of listening to the interviewee's world-class classical piano playing. Please click the links or the green button below to find out more, search for "Isaac Newton Institute" on your app of choice or find us on iTunes
here.
4. KIRK TALK VIDEO: watch Professor Donatella Marini's recent lecture on the Virtual Element Method. (above) Professor Donatella Marini of the "Geometry, compatibility and structure preservation in computational differential equations" programme. On Monday 21 October, Professor Donatella Marini delivered her Kirk Distinguished Visiting Fellowship lecture "A recent technology for Scientific Computing: the Virtual Element Method". Please click the green button below to watch a video recording of the talk in full.
5. ATIYAH CELEBRATION: images from the recent event honouring the late Sir Michael Atiyah, "Forays into Physics". (above) Sir Michael Atiyah's sons David and Robin Atiyah. On Friday 25 October the Institute was proud to host the event "Sir Michael Atiyah: Forays into Physics", a celebration of Sir Michael's contributions beyond the strictly mathematical sciences and following the sad news of his passing in January of this year. As he was also INI's founding Director this was a particularly meaningful occasion for the Institute. The event was well attended by those who knew and worked with Sir Michael, as well as by those who admired and continue to admire his significant work, and by members of his immediate family (see images). Participants in the event were also invited to attend the memorial service for Sir Michael at Trinity College Chapel the following day. Talks given included:
We would like to warmly thank all those present for their time and contributions to the day. (above) Sir Roger Penrose. (below) Extended family of Sir Michael Atiyah. 6. REMEMBERING ELMER REES: a farewell to a previous Chair of INI's Scientific Steering Committee. (above) a 1973 image of Professor Elmer Rees. The Institute was saddened to hear of the passing of Professor Elmer Rees on 4 October 2019. Professor Rees was Chair of INI's Scientific Steering Committee for seven years between 1998 and 2005 and also Chair of INI's National Advisory Board between its formation in 1999 and disbandment in 2007. He was noted for his great contributions to numerous academic institutes ranging from the London Mathematical Society to the Heilbronn Institute of Mathematical Research (of which he was founding Director). More details are available via the green button below. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends and others that knew him best. 7. FORTHCOMING WORKSHOPS/TALKS/EVENTS: looking forward to the month ahead at INI. > Newton Gateway Workshop: The Future of Distributed Ledger Technology 6 November 2019 > Newton Gateway Workshop: Cantab Capital Institute for the Mathematics of Information - Connecting with Industry 27 November 2019 As a reminder: the selection of non-workshop-based seminars undertaken as part of the current programmes can be found - and in most cases live streamed or viewed after the event - via the seminars link below. See all forthcoming INI events here: https://www.newton.ac.uk/events/calendar |