Climbing into Dawkins’ boots

Marcus du Sautoy

Richard Dawkins recently retired as the Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of science at Oxford University.

The university has now announced the appointment of Professor Marcus du Sautoy to this chair. Marcus du Sautoy has a good track record in the popularisation of science. He is a mathematician and is currently presenting The Story of Maths on BBC Four TV in the UK and previously presented The Music of the primes which was based on one of his books.

Marcus du Sautoy’s books include The Music of the Primes: Searching to Solve the Greatest Mystery in Mathematics, Symmetry: A Journey into the Patterns of Nature and  Zeta Functions of Groups and Rings.

It looks like Marcus du Sautoy will carry on the important work done by Richard Dawkins to popularise and defend science. I wonder what effect the switch from biology to mathematics will have?

See also

Guardian Science Weekly podcast programmes:

Marcus du Sautoy steps into Dawkins’ boots: Mathematician Marcus du Sautoy talks about his new job as chair for the public understanding of science at the University of Oxford

The story of maths: Marcus du Sautoy is in the pod, plus we discuss the Nobel winners

Through the Looking Glass: Marcus du Sautoy explains mathematical mysteries and dynamic digits.

Video:

BBC 4 The Story of Maths

BBC 4 The Music of the primes

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