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10 Dec 2003, The
Daily Telegraph
The 2004 Awards Launch
Article
By Carol Vorderman
Mathematics is the universal language.
Sir Isaac Newton used it to unite the movements of the heavens
with those on Earth. Einstein wielded mathematics to topple Newton's
picture of gravity.
Seven decades ago, that unsung hero of British Science, Paul Dirac,
used mathematics to predict the existence of antimatter. When
Carl Anderson subsquently confirmed the existence of the `antielectron,'
Dirac's discovery was hailed as a triumph for theory. Maths had
uncovered a truth before it had even been revealed by experiment.
While science has descended from the ivory
tower, so that arcane theories have turned into bestselling books
and television programmes, maths remains an unapproachable spook
that haunts the cultural cloisters. The subject is alien to most
people, even though its scientific applications are helping to
make sense of our world and to change it. That is why I passionately
support The Daily Telegraph/BASF Science Writer Awards, which
help young people to
communicate the importance of science and, by association, its
curious cousin mathematics.
Entries are welcome from 16-28 year olds
on any subject, from the purest of pure maths to engineering,
medicine and biology. But, given my own love of number-crunching,
it seemed sensible for me to launch the latest competition
by focusing on how to give mathematics sufficient sex appeal for
the most formula-phobic reader.
Even though Barry Stickings of BASF wants
to see more chemistry feature in the competition entries (he is
boss of a major chemical company, after all), tips to popularise
mathematics should also come in handy for entrants who
want give other hard-to-love fields of science a makeover too,
whether chemistry, physics or engineering.
What is it that bothers us about mathematics?
It does not help that it is not well taught in schools. It does
not help that some influential figures still think it is cool
to be innumerate. Nor does it help that it leaves no room for
errors. Most fundamental of all, maths is written in its own
strange language of equations and symbols. The same goes for those
subjects, notably physics and cosmology, that lean most heavily
on mathematics. Look at papers from these fields and much of them
might as well have been written in Finnish. Physics and cosmology
cannot but present serious problems of communication.
My recipe for success in extolling the
joys of maths (and, by extension, any field of science) is as
follows. First, find an example of current research that will
excite the readership of The Daily Telegraph: the maths we learn
at school is parochial. Maths is so much more than calculations,
long
division and percentages.
An example of esoteric maths meeting extraordinary
science is string theory. Today's theoretical physicists believe
that everything fundamentally consists of minute loops of energy
(or `strings'), each about a millionth of a billionth of a billionth
of a billionth of a centimetre long. Why strings
rather than point-like particles? In part, because string theory
is a hauntingly beautiful mathematical symphony. Nature seems
to have a tendency to dance to the most beautiful mathematical
tunes. Scientists are musicians
and fundamental equations are the musical scores of science.
Junk all equations. Explain all jargon.
Illuminate the fundamental idea. Clarity of explanation is vital,
because unveiling a new idea should mark a high point for the
reader, not descent into a mire of confusion. Crucially,
incorporate the explanation within the framework of a story to
make it more digestible. Storytelling is crucial. The story is
a way of hooking those people whose interest may begin to wobble
if clobbered with hardcore theory. Don't forget the obvious. Mathematics
is done by people. It is an
imaginative and creative process. Let the learned journals focus
on all the gory formulae. This competition offers you the chance
to spell out all the daft, romantic and bizarre details surrounding
a mathematical proof.
Become a storyteller. Cram your piece
with wonderful moments and vignettes that will entertain the reader.
Soften those hard-to-stomach ideas with history, anecdote and
personalia. Create an entertaining blend and you can
render an austere subject palatable. Find out about the personalities
behind mathematics. Dirac, who had zealous
faith that nature's fundamental laws have mathematical beauty,
was profoundly shy and loved fast cars. Einstein did not like
to wear socks and was beastly to his first wife. Fermat was a
"braggart", according to Rene Descartes. The Englishman
John Wallis referred to him as "that damned
Frenchman". Very human themes such as obsession and vanity
can give mathematics mass appeal.
The above techniques are used by successful
popularisers of maths, such as Ian Stewart, Marcus du Sautoy,
John Barrow, Graham Farmelo and Simon Singh. I used to work with
Simon on Tomorrow's World and can think of no better
example than his book, Fermat's Last Theorem.
To sell the idea to a general reader,
all you have to do is relate what Fermat had jotted next to the
marginal note outlining his theory: "I have a truly marvellous
proof of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain."
This mischievous comment would come to haunt generations of
mathematicians.
Simon would have been potty to have concentrated
solely on the theorem and to have ignored the drama, plot twists
and characters surrounding the three century-long effort to crack
the problem. And, indeed, he weaved the mathematics into the story,
using the plot to propel the reader along - and
provide enough momentum to plough through the dense paragraphs
which are crucial to understanding.
How to start? Sometimes the conclusions
of a project are so earth-shattering they are enough to draw a
reader in. Often, they are not. Then imagine you are writing a
thriller. Start with an intriguing morsel. Make the tension mount
as the reader heads for the final denouement. But don't overdo
it.
There is a risk of forgetting the maths or science if you focus
too much on the story. It is simply a question of balance. Unfortunately,
getting this balance right gets tougher as the piece shortens.
In this case, you have
just 700 words. Make every one count. Aim to get over one or two
key points.
Now it is over to you to reveal to readers
where the great scientific adventure is taking us.
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