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In this episode of Living Proof, we speak with Céline and Frank about their book: Why nobody understands quantum physics - and everyone needs to know something about it. They share insights into their writing journey and how each of their backgrounds contributed to the final project.

We met Céline and Frank at the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Cambridge, where Frank is co-organising the research programme Quantum field theory with boundaries, impurities, and defects.

"I have learnt that even if you are not a master in mathematics and science you are still able to grasp the essence."

This is Céline Broeckaert talking, believe it or not, about the famously difficult theory of quantum mechanics. Céline knows what she's talking about. She's not a physicist, in fact she's a Romance languages scholar, author and playwright. Yet she's written a book about quantum mechanics together with her physicist husband Frank Verstraete, Leigh Trapnell Professor of Quantum Physics at the University of Cambridge. The book is called Why nobody understands quantum physics - and everyone needs to know something about it. And it's good timing: quantum mechanics celebrates its 100th birthday this year.

See here for an article Plus Magazine published previously about Frank's work.

For a brief introduction to quantum mechanics see A ridiculously short introduction to some very basic quantum mechanics. To find out more about the overlap of maths and art, see here.

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In this episode of the Living Proof podcast we're delighted to meet Moustapha Fall. Moustapha is the Center President of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Senegal and winner of a prestigious Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from Developing Countries. He also plays an important role on the international stage as Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee of the International Mathematical Union.

Moustapha talks to us about about the amazing institution that is AIMS, about his outreach activities and advice for budding mathematicians, and about the challenges that face mathematicians in sub-Saharan Africa.

You can find the IMU-ICIAM report on fraudulent publishing, which Moustapha mentions in the podcast, here. The same team of authors has also drawn up recommendations on how to fight fraudulent publishing.

We met Moustapha when he visited the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Cambridge.

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Earlier this year the the anomalous mathematical patterns sci-art competition attracted some jaw-dropping entries. The competition was held in connection to the Stochastic systems for anomalous diffusion research programme which took place at the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences (INI) in Cambridge last year.

In this episode of Living Proof, we talk to Codina Cotar, who co-organised the INI programme and helped put on the competition. Codina explains the maths which served as inspiration and discusses some of the winning entries. From coffee to quantum mechanics and from dance to diffusion, find out how mathematics, nature and art are inextricably linked.

Note that the in-person exhibition at the INI is now scheduled for March 2026.

The entries discusses in this podcast are shown below. To find out more about some of the mathematical topics mentioned in this podcast see:

• The Sci-art competition - This article explores some of the mathematics behind the competition, including randomness, diffusion, and many particle systems.
• The Fields Medals 2022: Maryna Viazovska - This article looks at the mathematics of sphere packings, which won a Fields Medal for the mathematician Maryna Viazovska.
• Maths in a Minute: Fluid dynamics - A very bried introduction to the mathematics of liquids and gases.
• A ridiculously short introduction to some very basic quantum mechanics - This article does what the title suggests.
• A brief history of quantum field theory - A deeper look at the theory that arose from quantum mechanics.