In this newsletter:
* What would you like to know about your Universe? Ask an expert!
* Latest news
* Mathematical moments
* Browse with Plus
* Live maths
* The Plus new writers award 2009
* Support Plus
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What would you like to know about your Universe?
2009 is International Year of Astronomy, and to celebrate, we're asking
you to nominate your most burning questions about the Universe in our
online poll. We'll put the most popular questions to world-leading
astronomers and cosmologists, including Astronomer Royal Martin Rees and
author and cosmologist John D Barrow, and you'll be able to read and
hear their answers in Plus articles and podcasts. So please vote now, it
only takes a second, and if your question isn't on our list, you can
leave a comment on the blog.
http://plus.maths.org/blog/2009/02/what-would-you-like-to-know-about.html?nl=4
This is the first of seven online polls, and the answers will be
published in Plus in March.
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Latest news
* The Plus sports page: The home advantage
What can we expect from the British team in the London 2012 Olympics?
http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr09/medals/index.html?nl=4
* The International Year of Astronomy 2009
The world celebrates a great anniversary and Plus joins the party
http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr09/iya2009/index.html?nl=4
* Medical experts prescribe more maths
The European Science Foundation backs systems biology
http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr09/biosystems/index.html?nl=4
Plus... read more on the Plus
blog http://plus.maths.org/blog?nl=4
And listen to our latest podcast exploring the maths behind the
Complicite theatre production "A disappearing number"
http://plus.maths.org/podcasts/PlusPodcastFeb09.mp3
For all Plus podcasts, see
http://plus.maths.org/blog/labels/podcast.html?nl=4
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Mathematical moments
Dorothy Maud Wrinch
Born on the 12th of September 1894 in Rosario, Argentina
Died on the 11th of February 1976 in Falmouth, USA
Dorothy Wrinch's mathematical career began in 1913, when her studies in
mathematics at Cambridge brought her into contact with the eminent
logician Bertrand Russell. Fascinated by his work on logic and
philosophy, Wrinch stayed on for an extra year after graduating, to be
able to take Russell's course on symbolic logic. The two became close
friends, and when Russell was imprisoned for anti-war activities, Wrinch
acted as his unpaid research assistant and personal secretary. She went
on to publish many papers on the philosophy of science and the
scientific method, which were heavily influenced by Russell's work.
Wrinch was awarded a doctorate from University College London in 1922,
and this should have marked the beginning of a steep academic career.
But her immediate future, as for so many women, consisted of a string of
temporary and part-time appointments as a tutor at a number of women's
colleges in Oxford. Wrinch had moved to Oxford after her marriage to
John William Nicholson, who was director of studies in mathematics and
physics at Oxford College. The two had a daughter in 1928, but over the
following two years Nicholson's alcoholism caused his mental health to
decline and the relationship to break down.
Wrinch's professional situation had improved slightly in 1927, when she
became the first woman to gain a fixed-term lectureship in mathematics
which allowed her to teach male, as well as female, students. While at
Oxford, Wrinch also studied for a second doctorate,
and in 1929 she became the first woman to be awarded this degree at
Oxford. No doubt inspired by her own experiences, Wrinch reflected on
the difficulties faced by working mothers in her book "The retreat from
parenthood", which she published in 1931 under the pseudonym of Jean Ayling.
But it was the second part of Wrinch's career that brought her fame, as
well as infamy. In 1931 Wrinch became interested in molecular
biology, and in 1932 she helped to found the Theoretical Biology Club in
Cambridge. The members of the club believed that proteins held the
key to the secret of life, and that the combined powers of philosophy,
mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology should be employed in the
effort to crack it. Supported by a research fellowship from the
Rockefeller Foundation, Wrinch developed an architectural model of the
structure of proteins that proved as controversial as it was elegant.
The model, based on notions of geometric symmetries, explained much of
what was known about proteins, and attracted a considerable amount of
attention in the scientific world. However, it didn't tally with all the
experimental data available from x-rays, and there was also
theoretical evidence against it. But Wrinch was stubborn. An exchange of
public letters with the US scientist Linus Pauling, who had cast
doubt over the model, turned so personal that Wrinch's 13-year-old
daughter wrote a letter to Pauling, asking him to stick to the evidence.
As it turned out, both Pauling and Wrinch were wrong: molecular
structures adhering to Wrinch's model were indeed discovered in 1952,
but by then it had also become clear that most proteins did not exhibit
this structure, and in any case, scientific attention had turned away
from proteins towards DNA.
The public argument with Pauling did Wrinch's career no favours when she
emigrated to the USA in 1939, as she found it difficult at first
to find suitable employment. However, after marrying the biologist Otto
Glaser in 1941 (at a marine biological laboratory!), she secured
a special research professorship at Smith College in Northampton,
Massachusetts. Wrinch's reputation was vindicated by her work on x-ray
crystallography, which she conducted in the 1940s. The work concerned
techniques for investigating the structure of proteins by forming
crystals from samples of protein and then x-raying them. The
mathematical difficulty lies in interpreting the information from the
x-rays and using it to infer protein structures. Wrinch explored how
this can be done using a mathematical tool called Fourier analysis,
and her work on the subject represented an important contribution to the
field.
Wrinch continued to work on protein structures, and by the end of her
career had published over 190 papers and books. She retired from her
academic work in 1971, and died five years later.
You can find out more about Dorothy Wrinch on the Agnes Scott website
http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/wrinch.htm
and on the Mactutor history of mathematics website
http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Biographies/Wrinch.html
To find out more about Russell's work on logic, read the Plus articles
The Barber's paradox
http://plus.maths.org/issue20/xfile/index.html?nl=4
Cantor and Cohen: Infinite investigators
http://plus.maths.org/issue47/features/elwes1/index.html?nl=4
And to find out more about symmetries in molecular structures, read
the Plus articles
Through the looking glass
http://plus.maths.org/issue24/features/symmetry/?nl=4
A symmetry approach to viruses
http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/sep-dec07/twarock/index.html?nl=4
The maths of x-rays, tomography and Fourier analysis is investigated
in the Plus article
Saving lives: The mathematics of tomography
http://plus.maths.org/issue47/features/budd/?nl=4
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Browse with Plus
LEGO makes the difference
If you wanted a computer for Christmas, but got a LEGO set instead, then
why not make the best of your disappointment by building a difference
engine? Admittedly, it's not the shiny piece of technology you were
dreaming of, but it can perform many useful calculations in an energy
efficient way (cranking a handle), and it makes up for its weaknesses
with historical significance. Designed in the early nineteenth century
by computing pioneer Charles Babbage, it can be
regarded as a precursor to the modern computer, and delights with its
mathematical simplicity. The website below contains full instructions.
http://acarol.woz.org/LegoDifferenceEngine.html
You can read more about the difference engine and Babbage in the Plus
articles
Ada Lovelace - visions of today
http://plus.maths.org/issue34/features/ada/index.html?nl=4
Prehistoric printer
http://plus.maths.org/issue11/news/printer/index.html?nl=4
Why was the computer invented when it was?
http://plus.maths.org/issue20/features/korner/?nl=4
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Live maths
National Science and Engineering Week
The National Science and Engineering Week, taking place between the 6th
and 15th of March, celebrates all aspects of science and engineering
with nation wide events in schools, universities, museums, shopping
centres, and even pubs. There are plenty of events involving
maths and related sciences. Below is a small selection. For complete
event listings, search the online programme at
http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/forms/events/
Unlocking biological secrets using mathematics
A-level maths and science students and their teachers are invited to
visit Rothamsted Research and participate in a day long mathematics
event. The day will be a mixture of interactive talks, speed dating with
scientists and hands-on activities, surrounding the use of maths in the
biological sciences.
When: 10 March 2009 and 11 March 2009, 9am - 3pm
Where: Fowden Hall, Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden,
Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ
Tickets: Free, but booking required.
More info:
http://shrunk.net/ace40b7d-www.britishscienceassociation.org
Pi Day - The mathematics of the Universe
Space, the Final Frontier as many would say, is a spectacular place.The
Universe is teeming with events and objects so awe-inspiring that
one cannot help but feel a little dwarfed by them. Yet this does not
daunt many of those who study the Universe, trying to understand its
many facets: from where it came from, to how it will die and everything
in between. This event explores the mathematics of the
Universe.
When: 14th of March 2009, 10am - 6pm
Where: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham,
Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT
Tickets: free
The subtle science of uncertainty
None of us can predict the future. But Professor David Spiegelhalter
investigates how we may be able to use mathematics to help give us an
idea of how likely certain important events are to happen, such as
winning the lottery, getting a serious disease, watching your football
team lose, or spontaneously bursting into flames.
When: 21st of March 2009, 2pm-3pm
Where: Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Clarkson Road, Cambridge
Tickets: Free
Visit the home of Plus at the maths open day!
Cambridge mathematicians work on everything from the Big Bang or prime
numbers to climate change or the spread of disease. Hands-on
demonstrations and displays share some of the wonders of mathematics and
theoretical physics. The open day takes place at the Centre for
Mathematical Sciences where Plus is based.
When: 21 March 2009, 12 noon - 4pm
Where: Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Clarkson Road, Cambridge
Tickets: Free
Other maths events:
The Mathematics of Evolutionary Biology
One of the most fascinating questions in evolutionary biology concerns
what pressures led single cell organisms to evolve into multicellular
ones, and to divide up life's tasks among different cells. This lecture
by Professor Ray Goldstein will explain how concepts and
experimental techniques from mathematics and physics can help us answer
this question.
When: 25th February, 5pm-6pm
Where: Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Clarkson Road, Cambridge
Tickets: Free, but booking required
More info: http://mmp.maths.org/mmp-events
The Four Colour Theorem
How many colours do we need to colour a map, if we want neighbouring
countries to have different colours? Map-makers have suspected for a
long time that any map could be coloured using just four colours, but is
this right? Professor Imre Leader investigates one of the biggest
questions in maths.
When: 3rd of March, 5pm - 6pm
Where: Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Clarkson Road, Cambridge
Tickets: Free, but booking required
More info: http://mmp.maths.org/mmp-events
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The Plus new writers award 2009
If you prefer writing to reading, then don't forget the Plus new writers
award 2009. We invite you to submit an article on any mathematical topic
you think the world should know about. Prizes include iPods, signed
books and publication in Plus. There are special categories for school
and university students.
Closing date: 31st of March 2009
More information:
http://plus.maths.org/competition/index.html?nl=4
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Support Plus - make a difference to mathematics
http://plus.maths.org/support.html?nl=4
We are continuing our campaign to raise the funds we need for the
continued development and production of Plus beyond 2009. As you may
know, Plus receives no statutory funding and is entirely supported by
grants and donations from organisations and individuals committed to
the public understanding of mathematics. If you're interested in helping
us, then please visit
http://plus.maths.org/support.html?nl=4
where you'll find three easy ways to give to Plus.
Thank you for your support!
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Happy reading (and writing) from the Plus team!
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