Mathematician and Writer in UK.
Author of "Huge Numbers" (Basic Books, April 2026).
www.richardelwes.co.uk
Richard Elwes
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Free MSN link here. 2/2
www.msn.com/en-us/money/...
Highlights of my career as a cricket umpire so far, a thread.
Fielders all ready, batters both ready.
Umpire: “Ok let’s play.”
Bowler: “Erm, please can I have the ball?”
Umpire: “Shit.” [Sprints off field to find a ball.]
Ball is bowled, batter swings and misses, bails come off.
Umpire: “Out.”
[Extended discussion between batter, both umpires, wicket-keeper and spectators, in which it emerges that a perfectly timed gust of wind blew the bails off.]
Umpire sighing: “Dismissal revoked. Not out.”
People have studied black holes in higher dimensions. When space is 4-dimensional you can even get a "black Saturn" - a ring singularity orbiting a black hole. I wrote about black Saturns here:
math.ucr.edu/home/baez/di...
It's been noted that "Black Saturns" should be the name of a band.
I will also be able to access it through my University library once it hits the online archive, but that also doesn’t feel as if it will be quick…
My publishers will I am sure sort me out, but are off until Monday which will stretch my patience…!
Update: ok I have it from the online archive via the University library - came through much faster than I expected. Delighted with it!
“…delightful, insightful, informative…”
I am thrilled with this review of Huge Numbers in the Wall Street Journal.
Thanks to Siobhan Roberts for the review, including the slightly blush-inducing section about my “precision patter” narrating the audiobook.... 1/2
www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
Richard Elwes
🏆 Congratulations to the Museum of Mathematics CUBOID in Ukraine, winner of the 2026 Simon Norton Prize.
The project was recognised for inspiring maths outreach under wartime conditions.
Read more: euromathsoc.org/news/2026-si...
Erm, I am on the one hand excited that the Wall Street Journal has run a review of Huge Numbers, and on the other hand frustrated that not being a subscriber I cannot read it! Do I have any friends on here who can help?!
www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
