{"id":204,"date":"2016-05-28T14:42:37","date_gmt":"2016-05-28T13:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kityates.wordpress.com\/?page_id=204"},"modified":"2026-05-12T08:58:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T07:58:08","slug":"public-engagement","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.kityates.com\/?page_id=204","title":{"rendered":"Public Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am an author, broadcaster and academic specialising in the role of mathematics in everyday life, and a presenter who explains scientific ideas in plain language, with wit as well as authority.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

I completed my PhD in mathematics at the University of Oxford and am now Professor of Mathematical Biology and Public Engagement<\/strong> at the University of Bath. Alongside my academic role, I work extensively across broadcast, print and digital media.<\/p>\n

I am the author of three popular science books: The Maths of Life and Death<\/em> (a Sunday Times<\/em> Science Book of the Year), How to Expect the Unexpected<\/em>, and You Don\u2019t Know What You\u2019re Missing<\/em>. My writing and broadcasting draw on these ideas, but are aimed squarely at general audiences rather than academic specialists.<\/p>\n

I am a prominent commentator on the role of mathematics and science in society, writing regularly for the Guardian<\/em>, the Independent<\/em>, and a range of other media outlets. I regularly appear on BBC radio programmes including More or Less<\/em> and Inside Science<\/em>, and have contributed to television news and documentaries in the UK and internationally.<\/p>\n

During the COVID\u201119 pandemic, I was one of the core scientists forming Independent SAGE, providing independent scientific advice and public-facing explanations of pandemic science for policymakers, journalists and the general public.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Talks<\/h2>\n

Below are a couple of examples of talks I give regularly.<\/p>\n

Royal Institution – Can we trust Mathematics?<\/h4>\n