What to buy a mathematician for Christmas

Men are hard to buy presents for. Mathematicians are even harder. All they really need is a pencil and some paper ... and maybe a rubbish bin (unlike economists who don't use the rubbish bin). Which reminds me of a joke: What do mathematicians do when they're constipated? They work it out with a pencil. I… Continue reading What to buy a mathematician for Christmas

La Sagrada Família

This is the reason visitors come to Barcelona: to see the church of Sagrada Família. It's an unusual building that is not of this world. It looks more like something from an alien planet and would look right at home on the set of a science fiction film. It's the work of Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudí. Construction began in… Continue reading La Sagrada Família

Aberdeen’s amusement park and extreme wealth

Elizabeth turned 5 on New Year's Eve. We didn't have a party for her this year and instead took her out today to the amusement park on Aberdeen's waterfront. Yep, Aberdeen has an amusement park right by the sea called Codonas. Personally I think it's a god-awful waste of good real estate but who am… Continue reading Aberdeen’s amusement park and extreme wealth