The Joy of Wh(y) with Steven Strogatz

Steven Strogatz is a world-renowned mathematician, teacher, author and science communicator. He has dedicated his career to exploring the wonder of mathematics and sharing with others the many ways his discipline is fundamentally interwoven into our everyday lives. Join us for a conversation with Strogatz and Thomas Lin, editor of Quanta Magazine, as they discuss his interests, inspirations and personal trajectory, and his latest project to popularize math and science in society.

Steven Strogatz is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell University. He works in the areas of nonlinear dynamics and complex systems, often on topics inspired by the curiosities of everyday life. He loves finding math in places where you’d least expect it—and then using it to illuminate life’s mysteries, big and small. For example: Why is it so hard to fall asleep a few hours before your regular bedtime? When you start chatting with a stranger on a plane, why is it so common to find that you have a mutual acquaintance? What can twisting a rubber band teach us about our DNA? An award-winning researcher, teacher and communicator, Strogatz enjoys sharing the beauty of math through his books, essays, public lectures, podcasts, and radio and television appearances.

Thomas Lin is the founder and editor-in-chief of Quanta, an award-winning, editorially independent magazine published by the Simons Foundation. He is the editor of the anthologies Alice and Bob Meet the Wall of Fire and The Prime Number Conspiracy. Previously, Lin was a digital editor at The New York Times, where he managed the online science and national news sections and wrote about science, tennis and technology. His work has also appeared in The New Yorker, Tennis and Wired and has been recognized by the American Society of Magazine Editors, White House News Photographers Association, Webby Awards, New York Emmys and others. He has taught at CUNY’s journalism school and serves as a board member on the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing.