Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
The Isaac Newton Institute is the world's foremost mathematical research centre. Living Proof aims to highlight the diverse people and interconnected topics linked to its many activities. Interviewees range from visiting academics and lecturers to mathematicians, other scientists, musicians, artists, students, and prominent figures within the University of Cambridge and beyond. The podcast typically involves mathematical themes, but is specifically aimed at a general audience. The focus is on the subjects being interviewed and the social stories they have to tell, not just on the significance and details of the research they may be undertaking. We hope there is interest and inspiration here for everyone.- The Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences (UK) is an international research centre based in Cambridge, UK. A part of the University of Cambridge, it has been hosting research programmes on mathematical themes since July 1992.Visit > www.newton.ac.uk/news/ini-podcastThemes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Mathematics for general audiences • Research programmes and mathematical ideas • Quantum physics/information, geometry/topology, PDEs/fluids, stochastic diffusion • Mathematical modelling in healthcare/AI • Digital proof/formalisation • Science communication • Mathematicians’ lives, careers, equity, global links • Art/literature crossoversThis podcast, produced by the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Cambridge, uses interviews and conversations to introduce a broad range of mathematical ideas while foregrounding the people and communities connected to them. Although much of the discussion is rooted in research-level mathematics, the framing is typically aimed at non-specialists, with guests invited to explain what motivates their work, how they collaborate, and what it’s like to take part in major research programmes and workshops.
Across the episodes, listeners encounter both pure and applied topics, often presented through the lens of current mathematical activity at the Institute and its partners. Themes include mathematical tools for modelling complex real-world systems—such as fluid mechanics, turbulence, stochastic behaviour, and diffusion—as well as connections to medicine and technology, including computational approaches to personalised healthcare, neural networks, and the emerging infrastructure around “digitising” mathematics via formal proofs and computer proof assistants. There is also substantial attention to foundational physics and mathematically intensive areas like quantum information and quantum field theory, along with geometric and topological perspectives that link to long-standing open problems and deep structures in higher dimensions.
Another recurring strand is the relationship between mathematics and culture. The podcast often explores mathematical communication in different forms, including writing for the public, journalism, comedy, fiction, theatre, film-making, and visual or physical art inspired by mathematical patterns. Biographical and historical storytelling appears frequently as well, with attention to influential mathematicians and the ways their work and lives have been represented.
The show also highlights the social and institutional contexts of mathematical research: international collaboration, research mobility, fellowship schemes for early-career researchers, and efforts to broaden participation and support mathematicians affected by conflict or displacement. Overall, the content combines accessible explanations of mathematical themes with personal narratives about careers, creativity, and the global mathematics community.
| Episodes: |
#73 Building digital hearts2025-Nov-24 25 minutes |
#72 Céline Broeckaert and Frank Verstraete2025-Nov-12 26 minutes |
#71 Moustapha Fall2025-Oct-22 24 minutes |
#70 Codina Cotar and some amazing mathematical art2025-Oct-15 23 minutes |
#69 Ekaterina Eremenko on Olga Ladyzhenskaya’s Life in Math2025-Jul-09 17 minutes |
#68 Hunting through higher dimensions with Zhouli Xu2025-Jul-02 34 minutes |
#67 The meaning is in the arrows with Adina Goldberg2025-Jun-11 22 minutes |
#66 A conversation with Sarah Hart2025-Apr-23 24 minutes |
#64 Communicating mathematics with the INI and Hannah Fry2025-Apr-09 28 minutes |
#65 Diving into maths with Emmy Noether2025-Apr-08 29 minutes |
#63 Exploring anomalous diffusion: an interview with Aleks Mijatovic and Codina Cotar2024-Oct-07 28 minutes |
#62 Exploring Twistor Theory - an interview with Lionel Mason and Maciej Dunajski2024-Oct-03 30 minutes |
#61 Organising an INI Satellite Programme: an interview with Professors Mark Blyth and Sasha Korobkin2024-Sep-25 33 minutes |
#60 Exploring 'Mathlib' and the digitisation of mathematics: an interview with Professor Kevin Buzzard2024-Sep-25 55 minutes |
“Meet the… Simons Postdoctoral Fellows” mini series #12 Dr Luke Davis2024-Aug-30 18 minutes |
#59 Meeting the three mathematics medalists from the STEM for Britain awards 20242024-Apr-24 32 minutes |
“Meet the… Simons Postdoctoral Fellows” mini series #11 Dr S. J. Kole2024-Mar-15 8 minutes |
#58 Linking Cambridge with Africa: how to co-host an international research workshop2024-Mar-07 22 minutes |
#57 Cambridge Festival | Prof Ben Allanach previews his talk: "The Force Awakens: Quantum Collisions"2024-Feb-14 9 minutes |
#56 Voices from Ukraine: Olena Domanska of the Solidarity for Mathematicians programme2024-Jan-30 19 minutes |
“Meet the… Simons Postdoctoral Fellows” mini series #10 Dr Samuel Stark2023-Nov-20 4 minutes |
“Meet the… Simons Postdoctoral Fellows” mini series #9 Dr Zhao-He Watse Sybesma2023-Oct-10 10 minutes |
“Meet the… Simons Postdoctoral Fellows” mini series #8 Dr Paul Pruzina2023-Oct-09 5 minutes |
#55 Marbles, pint glasses and the Kepler conjecture: an overview of the 2023 GeomPack programme, with organisers Simon Cox and Adil Mughal2023-Sep-08 28 minutes |
#54 Discussing "The Irrational Diary of Clara Valentine", an interview with Coralie Colmez2023-Jul-18 16 minutes |
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#53 Disproving Ravenel's "telescope conjecture": an interview with Tomer Schlank and Jeremy Hahn 2023-Jul-07 23 minutes |
Thirty years of proof: celebrating Andrew Wiles on the anniversary of Fermat's Last Theorem2023-Jun-22 26 minutes |
#51 Celebrating the Newton Gateway's 10th anniversary, an interview with Clare Merritt2023-Mar-17 15 minutes |
#50 Why should we bother communicating INI research? An interview with Rachel Thomas and Marianne Freiberger2023-Mar-02 31 minutes |
#49 How to make maths funny, an interview with Timandra Harkness2023-Feb-22 28 minutes |
Making data accessible: an interview with Hannah Thomas of Government Analysis Function2023-Feb-15 31 minutes |
“Meet the… Simons Postdoctoral Fellows” mini series #7 Dr Nicolas Boulle2022-Oct-31 7 minutes |
“Meet the… Simons Postdoctoral Fellows” mini series #6 Dr Patrick Sprenger2022-Oct-31 10 minutes |
Voices from Ukraine: Yuriy Semenov of the Solidarity for Mathematicians programme2022-Oct-21 20 minutes |
Voices from Ukraine: Nataliya Vaisfel'd of the Solidarity for Mathematicians programme2022-Oct-21 24 minutes |
#45 Making maths fascinating, an interview with Ben Sparks and Katie Steckles2022-Sep-20 57 minutes |
#44 Travel, enthusiasm and history: an interview with Don and Silke Zagier2022-Aug-31 31 minutes |
#43 Communicating maths: a journalist’s perspective, an interview with Tom Whipple2022-Jul-06 31 minutes |
#42 Solving the "two-body problem", an interview with Prof Parimala Raman2022-Jun-14 20 minutes |
#41 Discovering the "Gems of Hypolytos" - an interview with Prof Herbert Gangl2022-May-17 28 minutes |
#40 Fluid mechanics, turbulence and more: an interview with Prof Rama Govindarajan2022-May-06 36 minutes |
#39 Meeting one of Canada's most powerful women: an interview with Prof Anita Layton2022-Apr-26 28 minutes |
#38 Amsterdam to INI... by bicycle! An interview with Antoine Gagnebin2022-Apr-19 13 minutes |
#37 Teaching maths in Africa: an interview with Professor Franca Hoffmann2022-Feb-11 42 minutes |
#36 "You don't need anybody's permission to be a great mathematician", an interview with Dr Nira Chamberlain2022-Feb-03 45 minutes |
"Meet the... Simons Postdoctoral Fellows" mini series #5 Dr Anagha Madhusudanan2022-Jan-18 20 minutes |
"Meet the... Simons Postdoctoral Fellows" mini series #4 Dr Antoine Remond-Tiedrez2022-Jan-18 17 minutes |
#35 Discussing the "Cluster algebras and representation theory" programme2021-Dec-10 23 minutes |
"Meet the... Simons Postdoctoral Fellows" mini series #3: Dr Aluna Rizzoli2021-Nov-25 16 minutes |
"Meet the... Simons Postdoctoral Fellows" mini series #2: Dr Avi Mayorcas2021-Nov-05 13 minutes |
"Meet the... Simons Postdoctoral Fellows" mini series #1: Dr Emine Yildirim2021-Nov-05 16 minutes |
#34 Welcoming Ulrike Tillmann: a brief interview with INI’s new Director2021-Oct-14 12 minutes |
#33 Becoming Bethany Marsh, life as a transgender Professor of Mathematics2021-Sep-28 48 minutes |
#32: Quanta, MoMath and communicating mathematics with Alex Kontorovic2021-Aug-10 47 minutes |
#31 From rural Zimbabwe to international mathematics: an interview with Professor Anotida Madzvamuse2021-Jul-26 46 minutes |
#30 “Exit strategy”: Director David Abrahams looks back on his 2016-2021 tenure at INI2021-Jul-09 48 minutes |
#29 All about Plus magazine, with Marianne Freiberger and Rachel Thomas2021-Feb-26 36 minutes |
Cambridge Philosophical Society mini-series #3: Dr Jay Taylor2020-Dec-18 15 minutes |
Cambridge Philosophical Society mini-series #2: Dr Elena Luca2020-Dec-18 18 minutes |
Cambridge Philosophical Society mini-series #1: Dr Francisco Sahli2020-Nov-30 14 minutes |
“Art of INI” mini-series #1: What can maths offer art and art offer maths?2020-Nov-30 46 minutes |
#28 Twenty-seven years of progress: an interview with Professor Valerie Isham2020-Nov-30 43 minutes |
#27 “An ecology of people telling it how it is”: an interview with Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter2020-Oct-08 35 minutes |
#26 “Maths masterclass tutorials”: an announcement from Simon Singh2020-Oct-05 15 minutes |
#25 “How to win at Pandemic”: an interview with Professor Julia Gog2020-Sep-15 34 minutes |
#24 Mathematics goes virtual, with Professor Rebecca Hoyle2020-Sep-01 37 minutes |
#23 The mathematical models of COVID-19 (part 2), with Dr Robin Thompson2020-Aug-03 32 minutes |
#22 The mathematical models of COVID-19 (part 1), with Dr Kit Yates2020-Aug-03 41 minutes |
#21 Promoting mathematics via social media: an interview with Ollie Jones and Kamilla Rekvényi2020-Feb-03 21 minutes |
#19 Asking for “a lot of money and a lot of time”: an interview with Professor Liz Mansfield2019-Nov-21 20 minutes |
#20 “On the nature of mathematical joy”, with Professor Liz Mansfield2019-Nov-21 4 minutes |
#18 Peer support and “the ability to develop agency”: an interview with Associate Professor Lesley Ward2019-Oct-18 26 minutes |
#17 Running the numbers: an interview with Dr Tony Hill2019-Oct-18 16 minutes |
#16 Life in “a harmonic universe”: an interview with Tamara Kokilashvili2019-Oct-18 17 minutes |
#15 Talking maths in public: an interview with Matt Parker2019-Sep-20 11 minutes |
#14 “A Golden Age of maths communication”: an interview with Professor Chris Budd2019-Aug-16 16 minutes |
#13 When mathematicians and environmental scientists meet: an interview with Professor Paula Harrison and Dr Martine Barons2019-Aug-16 23 minutes |
#12 Investigating the Wiener-Hopf technique: an interview with Dr Anastasia Kisil2019-Aug-16 10 minutes |
#11 Tour de France Special: an interview with Professor David Abrahams2019-Jul-26 28 minutes |
#10 “Bringing the changes we want in Africa”: an interview with Dr Bubacarr Bah2019-Jun-24 19 minutes |
#09 “The beauty of results”: an interview with Professor Svitlana Mayboroda2019-Jun-24 21 minutes |
#08 Interdisciplinary excitement: an interview with Professor Xian Chen2019-May-17 11 minutes |
#07 The realities of academic life: an interview with Professor Irene Fonseca2019-May-17 36 minutes |
#06 Mathematikum: an interview with Professor Martin Buhmann2019-Apr-23 17 minutes |
#05 Exploring sundials: an interview with Dr Frank King2019-Apr-23 20 minutes |
#04 What can an early career researcher contribute? An interview with interview with Henri Elad Altman2019-Mar-26 12 minutes |
#03 A male dominated environment: an interview with Susanne Hilger2019-Mar-26 15 minutes |
#02 A mother of three in a academia: an interview with Professor Patricia Goncalvez2019-Mar-26 20 minutes |
#01 Directing the INI: an interview with Professor David Abrahams2019-Mar-26 25 minutes |