#55 Marbles, pint glasses and the Kepler conjecture: an overview of the 2023 GeomPack programme, with organisers Simon Cox and Adil Mughal Artwork

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Living Proof: the Isaac Newton Institute podcast

#55 Marbles, pint glasses and the Kepler conjecture: an overview of the 2023 GeomPack programme, with organisers Simon Cox and Adil Mughal

September 08, 2023 • Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences • Season 1 • Episode 57

In the latest episode, Dan Aspel speaks to Simon Cox and Adil Mughal - organisers of the 2023 programme "GeomPack: Geometry and packing in material structure and biology". The second ever INI satellite programme, GeomPack is being held at Aberystwyth University in its 150th year. Simon and Adil explain the joys and challenges of organising such an event, as well as the fascinating research which has seen them and the participants tackle "some of the knottiest problems in mathematics for centuries”.

PMV programme: https://www.newton.ac.uk/event/pmv/

00:00 - Introduction
00:58 - Welcome and programme overview, life in Aberystwyth
03:40 - Comparing the experience to events at INI, origins of the GeomPack community
08:40 - Marbles and pint glasses: how to explain packing problems (the Kepler conjecture and "some of the knottiest problems in mathematics for centuries”)
17:00 - The fascination of the “Einstein tile”
19:10 - Learnings from running an INI satellite programme
25:45 - Looking ahead to the future

Episode recorded 04/09/23