Tommaths (he/him)

@teakayb

I'm Tom, a freelance Museum Learning Consultant who wants to help museums & galleries make more of the maths that is fundamental to the stories & objects of each & […] 🌉 bridged from ⁂ follow @ap.brid.gy to interact

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Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· 1d

It's difficult to get a good photo when one hand's holding binoculars that you're trying to use to project onto a piece of card held in the other, all while the Earth-Moon-Sun system dances its clockwork dance, but I'm pretty pleased with these. #eclipse #MiltonKeynes

Strong sunlight casts a large, dark shadow of a human across a textured yellow wall. A crescent-shaped image of the eclipsed sun is projected through binoculars (which are out of shot) onto the centre of the shadow's head. At the bottom right, a portion of a flower pot and the end of a bicycle pump can be seen.

Two images of the eclipsed Sun are projected onto white card, within a shadow cast by the binoculars through which the images are being projected. The card is balanced on top of a grey artwork hanging from the wall, a small portion of which is in view at the bottom of the photograph.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· 7d

It's not often I buy a brand-new hardback, but even if it's not great there's an enormous nostalgia factor to be considered. Red Dwarf played such a part in my upbringing that it was practically a parent. #Books #TV #Bookstodon

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· 11d

My reading for July, according to @thestorygraph : slow but steady again! Two books finished, one started, and three in progress. #Bookstodon #Reading

StoryGraph reading summary for @teakayb's July 2026 Wrap-Up. During the month they finished 2 books, read 784 pages, and gave an average rating of 4.5 stars. The highest-rated read was Sharpe's Storm by Bernard Cornwell (5.0 stars), alongside Reconstruction by Mick Herron (4.0 stars). Additional stats show an average book length of 323 pages and an average time to finish of 12 days.
A line graph tracks pages read each day of July. Reading starts strongly with just over 50 pages on the first two days, settles mostly between 20 and 40 pages through the middle of the month, dips to only a few pages around the 10th and 11th, then rises and falls several times before another surge to more than 50 pages on the 30th. The month ends with around 20 pages read on the 31st, showing a steady reading habit punctuated by a few particularly productive days.

A StoryGraph reading calendar summarising July 2026. Daily page totals are shown across the month, with a trophy marking a standout day of 56 pages read on 2 July. Two books are completed: Sharpe's Storm by Bernard Cornwell on 4 July, rated 5 stars, and Reconstruction by Mick Herron on 18 July, rated 4 stars. Four books remain in progress at month's end: The Craft of Indo-Arabic Numerals, Everyday Life Is Full of Maths, Night Sky Almanac, and The Secret Keeper. Overall, the calendar shows steady reading almost every day, with progress spread across several books throughout the month.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· 23d

For both people who enjoy my aperiodic #ViewFromAHotelWindow series, here's part some of many! Plus a bonus image: it was one of _those_ situations (I was in room 16).

A quiet summer evening over a small car park, with rows of parked cars framed by tall, leafy hedges. The sky fades from pale blue to warm gold near the horizon, while a slender crescent Moon hangs above the rooftops beside a single bright point of light. Streetlights have just switched on, adding soft pools of light that hint at the transition from day to night, giving the otherwise ordinary scene a calm, peaceful atmosphere.

A black wayfinding sign mounted on a wall directs visitors around a building. Large white text shows room numbers 101–315 with a left-pointing arrow, and 18–30 with an upward-pointing arrow. Along the bottom, the words “Lift & stairs” are paired with a left-pointing arrow, indicating access to both. The glossy surface reflects nearby windows and the person taking the photograph, while metal fixings at each corner hold the sign in place.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· 26d

A load of elephants have appeared in Milton Keynes, and this one appears to be paying tribute to my book*! *Yes, I know it's not really about my book... Search for "Elmer's Art Parade Milton Keynes.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Jul 6

A surprisingly sad occasion: I bought this umbrella when caught in the rain on campus during my undergrad degree some time between 2001-2004. It was finally beaten by high winds a couple of months ago, but sentiment has kept me from throwing it away until now. #Umbrellaellaella

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Jul 3

An unexpected but exciting delivery arrived today: Japanese, German, Spanish, and Polish copies of The Mathematicians' Library! (It is, of course, still available in English here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16778/9781836004851 ) #Books #Maths #History #MathsInMuseums

$A square photo shows four hardback editions of the same mathematics book arranged in a neat two-by-two grid on a pale patterned fabric background. Each cover represents a different language edition. Top left is the Polish edition, featuring an antique astronomical chart with a circular design centred on Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. Top right is the German edition, whose striking cover displays a vivid purple-and-pink fractal pattern on a black background. Bottom left is the Japanese edition, with bold white Japanese lettering over a colourful swirling abstract shape in blue, green, purple and pink. Bottom right is the Spanish edition, which returns to the antique astronomical chart design, this time with Spanish text. Together, the four books highlight the same work reaching readers across different languages while showcasing the distinct visual identity chosen for each edition.$

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Jul 1

Another month of consistent reading, with two books finished but seven on the go, including two #maths themed books that I've been sent to read & review: keep an eye open for those soon!

A StoryGraph monthly wrap-up for June 2026. The summary reports 2 books finished, 734 pages read, and an average rating of 4.5 stars. The highest-rated completed read is Witches Abroad with 5 stars, while The Midwich Cuckoos receives 4 stars. The average completed book length is 262 pages, and the average time taken to finish a book is 18 days. A green line graph plots pages read each day, ranging from 3 pages on the quietest day to a peak of 66 pages on 6 June, with several other strong reading days exceeding 40 pages later in the month.

A StoryGraph reading calendar for June 2026 showing daily reading activity throughout the month. Each date includes the number of pages read, with a trophy marking the highest total of 66 pages on 6 June. Coloured progress bars show several books being read concurrently. Two books are completed during the month: Witches Abroad (rated 5 stars) early in June and The Midwich Cuckoos (rated 4 stars) towards the end of the month. Five other books remain in progress, with their covers shown along the bottom of the calendar. Reading is fairly consistent across the month, with a quieter spell around 10–12 June followed by several days of 40–53 pages in the final week.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Jun 26

I don't post many selfies, but here's #SummerTom (and the livin' is easy)

A close-up selfie of a man with shoulder-length, wavy brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard, wearing large black sunglasses and an orange T-shirt. They face the camera with a relaxed, neutral expression. The dark lenses reflect a phone screen that shows the selfie being taken. Behind them, a white wall is decorated with a black clock featuring an illustration of a Lancaster bomber aircraft, while daylight from a nearby window brightens the room. The overall feel is casual and quietly playful, with the mirrored screen reflection adding an unexpected detail.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Jun 26

I found myself somewhere VERY air conditioned to work, but it looks like it's nearly 45 degrees outside. #MathsToday #Freelancer

A tilted (almost 45 degrees...) view through a window looks across a quiet parking area towards a modern five-storey office building with a grid of large windows and pale stone cladding. Several parked cars line the forecourt, including a black urban 4-by-4 and a black Audi in the foreground, while bright summer sunshine reflects from the windows and casts crisp shadows. A strip of paving and gravel runs along the right-hand edge, with a few tufts of grass pushing through the cracks, giving the otherwise neat urban scene a lived-in feel.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Jun 21

Happy solstice! Modern tech allows us to accurately predict the moment of sunrise & its position on the horizon, but humans have been doing some version of this for thousands of years. Spotting that there is a pattern to sunrises throughout the year, & then […] [Original post on mathstodon.xyz]

Crowds gather before dawn on a grassy hilltop to watch the summer solstice sunrise. People stand along paths, sit on blankets, and cluster around a tall triangular monument silhouetted against the horizon, while a row of bicycles rests in the foreground. The first light of day paints scattered clouds in shades of pink and peach, spreading across a vast blue sky above the dark landscape. The atmosphere is quiet and expectant, capturing a shared moment as the longest day of the year begins.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Jun 14

Masters of the Universe: Ridiculous, overly long, but I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I expected to. It's surprisingly self-aware & manages to hammily poke fun at the silliness of the franchise whilst somehow also taking it seriously. There's a touch of […] [Original post on mathstodon.xyz]

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Jun 8

So who else got their 'Maths on Holiday' Special Issue of Mathematics Today (from the IMA ) and excitedly opened it to page 70? Just me? #Maths #Museums #MathsInMuseums

A copy of Mathematics Today rests on top of a dark backpack and some clothing. The magazine’s bright pink-and-blue cover features a beach scene with a yellow bucket, a sandcastle and a blue plastic spade, matching the headline “Maths on Holiday Special Issue”. Superimposed across the centre in large white text is the teaser, “Turn to page 70…”, hinting at a surprise article or puzzle. The contrast between the academic journal and the cheerful seaside imagery gives the cover a playful, summer-holiday feel.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Jun 7

Yesterday I found a good-as-new clothbound copy of Moby-Dick for a mere £7. It's a classic, but it's also a book I (briefly) mention in my own as just one example of works of literature in which the author shows their knowledge of & interest in mathematics. #Maths #Literature #Books

A clothbound hardback edition of Moby-Dick stands upright on a weathered turquoise metal table outdoors. The deep navy-blue cover is decorated with a repeating pattern of white whale silhouettes and harpoon-like arrows, with the title at the top and “Herman Melville” at the bottom. The book is photographed at a slight angle, making it appear almost monumental despite its ordinary size. Behind it, the background falls softly out of focus: a dark doorway, a bright green chair, and hints of garden furniture beneath a cloudy sky. The striking contrast between the rich blue cover and the vivid turquoise table gives the image a fresh, nautical feel that echoes the novel’s maritime themes.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· May 30

Celebrated the recent 30th anniversary of the Doctor Who TV Movie by watching it, this evening. It has a large number of variously-sized issues, but I enjoy it. It was the first Doctor Who 'episode' to be released when I was old enough to appreciate it, so McGann is my Doctor.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· May 21

I'm (usually) a fan of Hotel Chocolat, but I saw this sign in my local shop and... It tastes kind of bitter. I know there are no lies here, but it feels a bit underhanded, especially given that they used to have an actual offer that was similarly presented. I'll grant that it's certainly clever.

A slightly crumpled shop sign in a black clip frame advertises a “Mix & Match” chocolate offer. The notice invites customers to “Choose any selectors from the Wall of Chocolate”, with prices listed as 3 for £13.95, 5 for £23.25, and 10 for £46.50.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· May 18

This weekend was spent at the @histassoc.bsky.social conference in Newcastle. We spoke to #history fans about #maths as a core part of human history, focusing on a major change affecting the entire British population in Elizabethan times. It was great! We had […] [Original post on mathstodon.xyz]

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· May 16

I ran out of copies of The Mathematicians' Library on our stand at the History Association conference! It's available online from https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16778/9781836004851 (unfortunately not with the conference discount, & not signed - but find & ask me at a later date 😁)

Photograph of a book display celebrating The Mathematician’s Library by Thomas K Briggs as “Book of the Year 2025”. A large poster shows the book winning both the main award and the readers’ choice award, with matching cover images framed by geometric diagrams and celestial-style artwork. In front of the poster, a handwritten sign advertises a “conference special price” of £20, reduced from an RRP of £28 marked through in red. The scene has the feel of a busy conference or exhibition stall, with bright indoor light and blurred shelves in the background.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· May 16

#ViewFromAHotelWindow A good-sized room, a comfortable bed, but an awful, *awful* shower.

A tightly framed view between neighbouring buildings shows pale cream brickwork filling most of the image. Two blank side walls dominate the foreground, divided by a narrow black drainpipe running vertically through the centre. The bricks are slightly uneven in tone, with dark mortar lines and occasional stains and cracks that hint at age and weathering. In the gap beyond, the façade of another building appears with tall sash windows covered by softly gathered lavender-grey curtains. The composition is stark and geometric, turning ordinary urban architecture into a pattern of rectangles, lines, and muted colours.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· May 16

“The secret to architectural excellence," said Sir Christopher Wren, "is to translate the proportions of a dachshund into bricks, mortar and marble.” A lovely #MathsInMuseums moment spotted on the St Paul's Cathedral stand at the Historical Association conference!

A plush black-and-tan dachshund toy stands proudly on a display table in a bright indoor venue, photographed from a low angle that makes it look almost life-sized. Its velvety fur, floppy ears, and oversized paws give it a soft, friendly appearance. Behind it, tall windows flood the space with daylight, while a blurred exhibition banner for St Paul’s advertises school sessions and visitor activities in colourful blocks of orange, pink, green, and purple. A small wooden cube sits in the foreground beside the toy, adding to the feel of a busy outreach or museum-style display.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· May 1

Two books finished in April (but there are more on the go & I'm keeping up reading consistency!). Two classics, both re-reads, both fiction: The War of the Worlds & Lords & Ladies (Discworld 14). https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/recommended-fiction-thomas-k-briggs #Books #Fiction #Reading #Bookstodon

A pastel-toned reading summary graphic titled “@teakayb’s April 2026 Wrap-Up.” At the top, three rounded boxes show key stats: 2 books, 684 pages, and an average rating of 4.25.
Below, a section labelled “Highest Rated Reads” displays two book covers side by side: Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett rated 4.5 stars, and The War of the Worlds rated 4.0 stars. To the right, smaller text notes an average book length of 319 pages and an average time to finish of 30 days.
The bottom half features a line graph of pages read per day across April (days 1–30). Reading fluctuates at low to moderate levels for most of the month, with a noticeable spike around day 9 and a sharp peak on day 30, which is the highest point on the chart. The overall impression is of steady, occasional reading with a strong finish at the end of the month.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Apr 24

Kindle jailbreaking/ KOReader update: I've finally figured out where Calibre puts ebooks on my Kindle and how to navigate to them within KOReader, and then open them to read. The next job is figuring out how to do that as quickly as I'd expect for an […] [Original post on mathstodon.xyz]

A black Amazon Kindle with a physical QWERTY keyboard rests on a light fabric surface, a charging cable plugged into the bottom. On its e-ink screen, the KOReader app is open to a “documents” view showing three large tiles arranged horizontally. The left tile is a navigation icon with an upward arrow; the middle and right tiles display document titles beginning with “Abbott, Edwin A.” and “Adams, Douglas & Goss, James.” Small icons beneath each tile indicate one file. At the top are simple icons for home and adding items, and at the bottom the screen reads “Page 1 of 1” with arrow controls.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Apr 3

"I'm looking for Sarah Connor."

A view of Earth from space, shown as a curved, half-lit globe against a deep black background. Sunlight illuminates the lower-left portion, revealing swirling white cloud systems over blue oceans, while the upper-right fades into darkness along a soft diagonal line (called the 'terminator'). The planet appears calm and delicate, suspended alone in the vast emptiness of space.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Apr 3

I love this photo. Earth looks so furtive. "I'm so sorry, I hope I'm not intruding..." (Credit: NASA, obviously)

View from inside a dark spacecraft, looking out through a small, rounded window. Beyond the thick frame and bundled cables, Earth appears half-lit against the blackness of space—its blue oceans and swirling white clouds sharply defined, with sunlight catching the curve of the planet. The interior foreground is dim and mechanical, emphasising the quiet contrast between the cramped, engineered cabin and the vast, luminous world outside.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Apr 1

March's reading! Only one book completed this month: Colditz, by Ben MacIntyre (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16778/9780241986974). It's as brilliant as expected: MacIntyre always makes historical non-fiction feel like a gripping drama. That's one book finished […] [Original post on mathstodon.xyz]

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Mar 29

Because social media keeps telling me it's all about the cardigan and the glasses and nothing to do with being muscular, 6 feet tall and swooningly pretty... Similarly non-muscular, shorter, yet bespectacled and becardiganed men assemble! #ProjectHailMary

A side-by-side comparison of Ryan Gosling and Thomas K. Briggs.
On the left is Thomas, a person with shoulder-length brown hair and light facial hair sits indoors against a pale wall, wearing round glasses, a patterned cream cardigan, and a dark graphic T-shirt. They rest one hand on their head and look directly at the camera with a calm, slightly tired expression; a small framed picture hangs high on the wall behind them.
On the right, Gosling has shorter but similarly ruffled hair and wears glasses and a similar cardigan. His setting is warmly lit. He looks slightly off-camera with a faint, knowing smile, with one hand resting on his head in a pose similar to Tom's. The lighting and styling give the right-hand image a more cinematic feel, highlighting the resemblance between the two.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Mar 21

I've got the front seat, up top, on my way to MathsWorld!

View through a slightly dusty bus window onto a busy London junction. In the foreground, several pedestrians cross at different angles, including a jogger in bright trainers and a couple of people in coats and backpacks. Cars and a black cab weave through the crossroads, while traffic lights and yellow box markings organise the flow.
On the left, a large historic stone building with tall columns sits beneath leafless trees. On the right, a red-brick corner building with white trim houses shops at street level, including an Italian restaurant with blue signage. The road stretches into the distance between rows of buildings, with buses and vans further along, under a pale sky with patches of cloud.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Mar 13

I feel like I should post more thirst-traps, and what could be more of a thirst-trap than a thing designed to hold some sort of liquid? I've been working on some learning & education stuff for @the_morw. The history of porcelain manufacture is not my […] [Original post on mathstodon.xyz]

A close-up photo taken in a museum gallery shows a person in the foreground, wearing round glasses and looking sideways with a curious, slightly puzzled expression. Their finger points toward a small porcelain jug displayed behind them in a glass case. The jug is dark blue with gold decoration and a tiny painted giraffe (that looks more like a sort of long-necked leopard) in the centre. A green label beneath the stand reads “13”, and the background wall is covered with a large black-and-white illustration.

A deep cobalt-blue porcelain jug with a curved handle and pointed spout sits on a clear display stand in a museum case. The jug is richly decorated with gold scrollwork framing an oval scene of a long-necked, spotted 'giraffe' (that looks more like a weird leopard) standing on green ground beside a small tree. The glossy lid is topped with a small gold knob, and a small display label reading “1131” sits in front of the stand. Behind the jug, the wall is covered with a large black-and-white line illustration that resembles an old engraving.

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Mar 5

This #WorldBookDay, here's the author of The Mathematicians' Library in a library with some maths books. https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16778/9781836004851

A person with shoulder-length hair, round glasses, and a short beard stands beside a tall bookshelf packed with science and mathematics books. Wearing a dark T-shirt and green checked shirt, they gesture with an open hand towards a shelf labelled “M.2 Physics”, as if presenting the collection. Nearby shelves are labelled with other subjects such as maths and astronomy above, and natural history and evolution below, while colourful book spines— including titles by Carl Sagan and Martin Rees—line the wooden shelves behind them

Tommaths (he/him)@teakayb· Jan 15

The shoes I wore today are all-weather shoes. That is, they let in *all* of the weather. But my #maths- themed umbrella (a Christmas present) did a great job of taking care of the other end on its inaugural outing. If people buy me things with pseudo-maths […] [Original post on mathstodon.xyz]