Who?

James went on to study mathematics at Lancaster university. He was attracted by the challenge of the analytical and creative thought required in a maths degree, but it was probably the lack of essays and reading list he found most attractive. It was at Lancaster university where James first saw SimonSingh's talk on cryptography during his original publicity tour, a fact he only remembered after getting the job as Enigma Project Officer.

James believes university is a wonderful experience and thoroughly recommends it to anyone if they can. He learnt a lot there, most of it unrepeatable.

Later, James went to York university with the aim of getting a PhD and avoiding the real world for at least another three years. He was successful on both counts. At York James studied permutations and combinatorics, the mathematics of shuffling, and representing mathematics through pictures and diagrams - mathematics often used in cryptography. James stayed on at York as a lecturer and young researcher, and was known for his unique selection of shirts.

Now, James is thrilled to be working for the Cambridge University and the Millennium Mathematics Project. He hopes to explain to kids and general audiences why he love his maths so much, to challenge some of the public's misconceptions, and to explain why he considers it a beautiful subject in a way that is closer to an art.

In his spare time James has many hobbies, including juggling, unicycling and a great number of other circus skills, and has finally embraced the fact that his ultimate purpose in life may simply be to make a fool of himself in public.

Biography "borrowed" from http://enigma.maths.org/project/epso.php

James was very disappointed when they changed the Royal Institution theme tune.

James is one of the Other Speakers I can recommend. He is also responsible for the very clever re-working of an obscure factlet into a very puzzling problem, The Salem Witches Puzzle.

See also Enigma Project Bookings.

Quotation from Tim Berners-Lee