writing – TKB Maths & Museums

Research Paper: Integrating history into mathematics teaching: An empirical study on years 7 & 8 students

2026-06-192026-07-06Tom BriggsPortfolioLeave a comment

Research Paper: Integrating history into mathematics teaching: An empirical study on years 7 & 8 students

A paper published by the British Journal for the History of Mathematics detailing a research project in which Jason Yip and I planned and taught a half-term’s worth of maths lessons to two classes at a Secondary School in Milton Keynes. These lessons followed the school’s usual Scheme of Work, but Jason and I included History of Maths content in every lesson.

Tags: BJHM, education, history, mathematics, research, writing

Talking Maths in… Coventry Transport Museum (Guest Post at the Aperiodical)

2026-05-282026-07-06Tom BriggsPortfolioLeave a comment

Talking Maths in… Coventry Transport Museum (Guest Post at the Aperiodical)

“… a guest post from museum educator and mathematician Tom Briggs, about his session at last August’s Talking Maths in Public conference.”

Tags: mathematics, MathsComm, museums, writing

The Mathematicians’ Library wins Chalkdust Book of the Year – TWICE!

2026-04-222026-07-06Tom BriggsPortfolio / TestimonialsLeave a comment

The Mathematicians’ Library wins Chalkdust Book of the Year – TWICE!

I am very pleased, not to mention flabbergasted, to announce that The Mathematicians’ Library won both categories: it was picked from the shortlist as the editors’ favourite, and received just shy of 50% of the Readers’ Choice votes with 236 out of 475 choosing it as their prime pick of 2025.

The Mathematicians’ Library shortlisted for Book of the Year

2026-03-232026-03-24Tom BriggsTestimonialsLeave a comment

“… if you get the chance to flick through a copy in a library or bookshop you will find your attention constantly being captured by a piece of mathematical history or a page from a book that you have heard of but never seen before”

– Chalkdust Editors

Tags: book, history, mathematics, MathsComm, writing

5 things museums, galleries and libraries don’t tell you about maths (but probably should)

2025-10-232026-07-06Tom BriggsPortfolioLeave a comment

5 things museums, galleries and libraries don’t tell you about maths (but probably should)

Next time you’re in a museum, gallery, library, or archive, keep an eye open for these mathematical themes!

Tags: blogpost, galleries, libraries, mathematics, MathsComm, museums, National Numeracy, online, writing

The Mathematicians’ Library: The Books That Unlocked the Power of Numbers

2025-09-112026-07-06Tom BriggsPortfolio2 Comments

The Mathematicians’ Library: The Books That Unlocked the Power of Numbers

Far from an academic “maths book”, it is a book about maths; about the role that this most ancient of human endeavours has played in the development of humanity, and where its achievements have prompted – and been prompted by – growth in disciplines that many people in the modern world see as entirely separate.

Tags: books, history, mathematics, MathsComm, publications, research, writing

Article: How Can We Learn Maths in Museums? for Art Quarterly

2025-09-042025-09-04Tom BriggsPortfolioLeave a comment

I was briefed to write a page on the subject of maths in museums, and how the objects and artworks they hold relate to our understanding of maths. That’s right up my street!

Tags: Art Quarterly, MathsComm, MathsInMuseums, museums, writing

Book Review: Gravity, by Nicholas Mee

2024-01-03Tom BriggsPortfolioLeave a comment

“You might be forgiven for wondering whether anything worthwhile could have happened over the following nine years that prompted Nicholas Mee to consider updating a book that did such a good job of covering the previous thirteen-point-seven billion, but here I am reviewing Gravity’s Second Edition.”
– Excerpt from my review

Tags: books, review, writing

Research Project: Aligning Heritage Science to UK Primary Science Curricula

2022-06-302025-03-06Tom BriggsPortfolio1 Comment

“The project arose from an earlier event which highlighted the potential for heritage science themes to help build bridges between arts and science teaching in schools whilst spreading awareness of an aspect of museum and gallery work that is often hidden behind the scenes.”

Tags: Catherine Holden, education, heritage, museums, research, ResearchProject, science, writing