jadesfire: Bright yellow flower (Writing - Keira with book)
[personal profile] jadesfire
Seriously. If you write. If you like maths. If you knit.

Marcus du Sautoy and Mark Haddon discuss writing, music, maths, science, literature, death and knitting. This is currently a link to the events page. Scroll down for the audio/webcast.

[livejournal.com profile] apiphile. Seriously. I think they got together just for you.

If you've never heard of either of them, Marcus du Sautoy is an Oxford maths professor with an extraordinary ability to make complicated science understandable. Mark Haddon is best known for writing The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. They are both knowledgeable, entertaining, and wonderful communicators. If you don't get the maths, listen to a brilliant author talking about his writing. If you don't write, listen to a brilliant scientist explaining how he does what he does. And if you knit, make sure you listen to the questions at the end...

I can't remember the last time I just sat and *listened* to something - normally I'm doing other things at the same time. But this is worth the hour. Just...click the link, okay?

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 07:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] apiphile.livejournal.com
well, that's just about made my Monday. :D THANK YOU.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 07:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Monday has to have *some* kind of redeeming feature, doesn't it?

I've never actually read The Curious Incident, but am more inclined to now that I've heard the guy speak. And Marcus du Sautoy is never not awesome.

You're more than welcome :) Enjoy!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 07:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] apiphile.livejournal.com
Both Curious Incident and Spot of Bother are gloriously readable books, very funny and bittersweet with fantastically engaging characters. I love how effortless he's made his prose to read without giving the impression of working at it, so it'll be interesting to hear what he has to say when I've finished pulling today's chapter out of my eyeballs or wherever it's stuck at the moment.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 08:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] stackcats.livejournal.com
I have no sound on this computer, but I'd just like to say; Mark Haddon is brilliant. Can't wait for his next book. He's just got a style that I find very engrossing.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 08:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
I couldn't get into The Curious Incident a few years ago, but am going to try again now I've heard him speak. He's brilliant to listen to!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 08:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] stackcats.livejournal.com
It's definitely worth trying again. It's one of the few books that's brought me to tears. "A Spot of Bother" is very good too.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 09:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mad-jaks.livejournal.com
Science maths and knitting all in one place? I can go for that :D

OT and very cheekily I have a friend who's having a problem with Audacity and trimming an MP3 file... Is there any way you could maybe share with her your mad audio skills please and thank you? *offers chocolate* I'd offer you my first born but she's kind of old ;-)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 09:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
I'm crossing my fingers that the podcast goes up soon - I want to take notes! Apparently knitting has direct relevance to maths. Marcus du Sautoy spoke at a craft convention recently about it! *fangirls him like woah*

Yeah, no worries. Well, I won't be able to do anything til the morning now as my brain is just about up to commenting and that's it, but if she wants to email me, you know where I live and I only bite if invited to do so ;)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 09:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mad-jaks.livejournal.com
Apparently knitting has direct relevance to maths
Yes, there was something... earlier this year? Last year?? About little old ladies and knitting and how it keeps their brains active and something else about teaching children to knit to help with their numeracy. Don't ask me to cite references, I have no idea :s

Thank you so much. I just went over there and spotted someone else has actually offered to do it for her, so she might not have to (though I think she might - she's like me and would rather know how to do these things for herself).

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 07:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] apiphile.livejournal.com
well, that's just about made my Monday. :D THANK YOU.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 07:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Monday has to have *some* kind of redeeming feature, doesn't it?

I've never actually read The Curious Incident, but am more inclined to now that I've heard the guy speak. And Marcus du Sautoy is never not awesome.

You're more than welcome :) Enjoy!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 07:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] apiphile.livejournal.com
Both Curious Incident and Spot of Bother are gloriously readable books, very funny and bittersweet with fantastically engaging characters. I love how effortless he's made his prose to read without giving the impression of working at it, so it'll be interesting to hear what he has to say when I've finished pulling today's chapter out of my eyeballs or wherever it's stuck at the moment.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 08:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] stackcats.livejournal.com
I have no sound on this computer, but I'd just like to say; Mark Haddon is brilliant. Can't wait for his next book. He's just got a style that I find very engrossing.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 08:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
I couldn't get into The Curious Incident a few years ago, but am going to try again now I've heard him speak. He's brilliant to listen to!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 08:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] stackcats.livejournal.com
It's definitely worth trying again. It's one of the few books that's brought me to tears. "A Spot of Bother" is very good too.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 09:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mad-jaks.livejournal.com
Science maths and knitting all in one place? I can go for that :D

OT and very cheekily I have a friend who's having a problem with Audacity and trimming an MP3 file... Is there any way you could maybe share with her your mad audio skills please and thank you? *offers chocolate* I'd offer you my first born but she's kind of old ;-)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 09:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
I'm crossing my fingers that the podcast goes up soon - I want to take notes! Apparently knitting has direct relevance to maths. Marcus du Sautoy spoke at a craft convention recently about it! *fangirls him like woah*

Yeah, no worries. Well, I won't be able to do anything til the morning now as my brain is just about up to commenting and that's it, but if she wants to email me, you know where I live and I only bite if invited to do so ;)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-11-10 09:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mad-jaks.livejournal.com
Apparently knitting has direct relevance to maths
Yes, there was something... earlier this year? Last year?? About little old ladies and knitting and how it keeps their brains active and something else about teaching children to knit to help with their numeracy. Don't ask me to cite references, I have no idea :s

Thank you so much. I just went over there and spotted someone else has actually offered to do it for her, so she might not have to (though I think she might - she's like me and would rather know how to do these things for herself).