Thinking better with mathematics – with Marcus du Sautoy
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Published 2022-03-24
Watch the Q&A: • Q&A: Thinking better with mathematics...
Marcus's latest book "Thinking Better: The Art of the Shortcut" is available now: geni.us/dusautoy
How do you remember more and forget less? How can you earn more and become more creative just by moving house? And how do you pack a car boot most efficiently?
Join mathematician Marcus du Sautoy as he interrogates his passion for shortcuts. After all, shortcuts have enabled so much of human progress, whether in constructing the first cities around the Euphrates 5,000 years ago, using calculus to determine the scale of the universe or in writing today’s algorithms that help us find a new life partner.
Marcus du Sautoy is the Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at the Oxford University, a chair he holds jointly at the Department of Continuing Education and the Mathematical Institute. He is also a Professor of Mathematics and a Fellow of New College. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2016.
This talk was filmed on 8 November 2021.
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All Comments (21)
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I remember watching ”The Story of Maths” back in 2012 when I was 15 which got me into mathematics and then theoretical physics. Marcus du Sautoy presented that documentary and it had a profound impact on me
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On the other hand, many people say the journey is more important than arriving at the destination. Rote learning doesn't lead to robust understanding. Deriving the shortcuts, for example by playing with examples to see a pattern, is a valuable exercise.
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I love that we're back to the institute. Zoom just doesn't do it for me.
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My math teacher always described it as maths being "All about finding easy ways to do hard things" and that really resonated with me as a kid and fueled my interest in the subject for a long time
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Such a great speaker, so much wonderful stuff from the RI this year so far.
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I ❤ Marcus du Sautoy. Never having followed a career path in mathematics myself, I find myself thinking profoundly differently having listened to him speak. Marcus is such a good and enthusiastic communicator, light bulbs switch on inside my head with every word he speaks. I see the beauty and the wonder of seemingly disconnected areas of everyday life being united logically and with utter elegance. Thank you Marcus. Not sure if it is the beauty of maths solutions, Marcus' enthusiasm or both; either way, I'm a big fan.
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Amazing. Just absolutely lovely, this lecture. Thank you Mr. duSatoy!!
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Finally, live lectures. I've waited them sooo long
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I really look forward to watching new RI talks and I am never disappointed. Thank you.
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About the honeybees - they don't actually make hexagonal honeycomb - they make circles and the heat of their movements and physics turns them into hexagons because it's the most efficient shape :D
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Absolutely in love with his sweater. Great talk too!!
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Gorgeous presentation, thx.
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Thanks very much for your program and for sharing it. Maths are fun with you ! 😊
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Nothing comparable to live lectures. Overjoyed to have them back - this is already shaping up to be a great year of learning, RI.
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Wonderful, very enthusiastic. thanks for sharing.
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Thanks you so much for knowing/understanding and mentioning that there are ways to rewire in a very short period of time @48:00 as we have come very far from the past years of talk therapy and nothing to show for it.
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Good presentation, I like how he shows all the ways maths can have practical applications even without doing math directly
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No words, just brilliant teaching
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What a nice room to do something like this in.
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Thank you. I enjoyed that. Even if I did click the thumbnail because I thought it was a Matt Parker video....sorry about that!
