Dr Simon Singh, science writer and Imperial College London alumnus, returned to give a lecture to open an international atomic physics conference.

The last place you would expect to see one of history’s most infamous equations is in an episode of The Simpsons. Yet, fans of the long-running American animated sit-com can see a clever reference to Fermat’s last theorem in season 7’s Halloween special.

Dr Simon Singh, an Imperial College London alumnus and science writer, noticed the obscure Easter egg because he had just published a breakout best-seller on the theorem, whose proof eluded mathematicians for over three centuries.

What started out as a curious observation then turned into an obsession to uncover the show’s many mathematical references, all hidden in plain sight by The Simpsons’ writing staff.  “That’s what happens when you write a book about something, you become a little bit obsessed with it,” Dr Singh said.

Dr Singh, returned to his alma mater to deliver a whistle-stop tour of his best-selling books in Imperial’s Great Hall. The talk opened the 28^th International Conference of Atomic Physics (ICAP), which was hosted at Imperial between 14 to 19 July 2024. 

The talk was chaired by Professor Sarah Hart, Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, and Professor Ian Walmsley, Provost of Imperial College London, gave the opening remarks.

From debunking homeopathy to cracking ‘secret codes’ in the Bible

Dr Singh’s public talk highlighted topics from his best-selling books: Fermat’s Last Theorem, The Code Book, Big Bang, Trick or Treatment, and The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets.

Though his writing covers a wide range of subject matter, from the history of the world’s most elusive proof, to examining the effectiveness of alternative therapies, to uncovering whether the Bible contains secret codes, Dr Singh said that all his book tackled how our brains found patterns.

Evidence and experiment are the best ways we have to test those patterns Dr Simon Singh Science writer and Imperial College London alumnus

Sometimes those patterns tempt us into drawing false conclusions, but other times, those patterns make up the natural laws that we codify into science. “Evidence and experiment are the best ways we have to test those patterns,” Dr Singh said.

Dr Singh was graduated with a BSc in Physics at Imperial, before starting a PhD at the University of Cambridge. Originally planning to start a career in academia, Dr Singh discovered a love of writing whilst writing for student newspapers, and editing the departmental newsletter at the time, titled Schrodinger’s Cat.

These early adventures in writing were the first stepping stones into a future in journalism at the BBC, where Dr Singh would produce and direct documentaries such as the BAFTA-winning Fermat’s Last Theorem.

Building the next generation of mathematicians

Dr Singh has now turned his attention to running online maths circles via his platform: Parallel. Parallel collates educational resources for budding mathematicians, as well as weekly challenge questions that push students to explore mathematics outside of a state school curriculum.

“I help students who love maths into students who are great at it,” he said. The author is joined by other maths educators in live sessions, which help students become better at problem solving and critical thinking.

Dr Singh’s mission to improve the diversity and number of mathematicians in the UK is echoed by Imperial’s own education and outreach initiatives.

“One thing I love is that Imperial has recently opened a maths sixth-form where students study Maths and Further Maths A Level,” Dr Singh said, referencing the recent launch of the Imperial College London Mathematics School.

Professor Walmsley, who helped organise ICAP 2024, opened the talk:

Together, Simon Singh and Sarah Hart embody the spirit of intellectual curiosity and public engagement. Professor Ian Walmsley Provost of Imperial College London

“The tradition of Atomic Physics at Imperial stems back as far as G. P. Thomson, one of the heads of the Department, which is housed, still, in the Blackett Laboratory.  The legacy includes both pioneering work in UV spectroscopy, led by Anne Thorne and Dick Lerner, as well as strong-field physics through the Laser Consortium, set up by Henry Hutchison, Peter Knight and Keith Burnett, and now led by Jon Marangos and John Tisch.” 

“Singh's work extends beyond writing; his critically acclaimed documentaries and advocacy for scientific standards in public discourse underscore his commitment to education and reason.”

“Together, Simon Singh and Sarah Hart embody the spirit of intellectual curiosity and public engagement. Their work not only advances their respective fields but also enriches our collective understanding of the world through science and mathematics.”