Interviews on wonder, curiosity and creativity
I’m thrilled to announce that one of my optical illusions was one of the finalists in the international Best Illusion of the Year Contest. You can view the top ten here. My Ambiguous Cardboard Arrow illusion was inspired by the work of Prof Kokichi Sugihara and Terri Rogers. What I think makes the illusion special... Continue Reading →
Michael de Podesta is 59 years old in 2019. He studied Physics at Sussex University (1978-81) and after almost ‘dropping out’ he went on to finish a PhD there on the arcane properties of metals at cryogenic temperatures. He went on to work as a lecturer in Physics at Birkbeck College and University College before leaving academia in 2000 to work at NPL. His work at NPL is mainly related to temperature measurement, but in 2004 he started Protons for Breakfast, a course on physics for the general public which ran twice a year until 2014. He was awarded an MBE for services to science in 2009.
Adrian Teal is a caricaturist, cartoonist, illustrator and author, and has been fully freelance since 1996. He was head of 3D celebrity caricature design on the award-winning ITV show Big Heads, has worked for QI, and has been busy with another top secret TV caricature project. He has produced illustrations and political cartoons for national and international publications such as The Sunday Telegraph, Penthouse, The Scotsman, The Times, The Guardian, Time Out, The Sun, and The Daily Mail. Adrian is currently writing and illustrating a children’s book for Bloomsbury USA with his wife, Lindsey.
Jeanette Andrews is a sensory illusionist who specializes in creating performative, art-based interactive sensory magic, possessing a contemplative take on the art of the impossible. Andrews uses scientific oddities and sensory anomalies to bridge everyday life to a special, heightened world. Her work explores how illusions construct reality and highlights astonishing aspects of everyday life via moments of the seemingly impossible. Combining influences not typically seen in magic performances such as immersive theatre, quantum physics, and philosophy.
John broke the world record for paper aircraft distance in 2012; a record he still holds. Author of four books of original designs, John has been called the world’s foremost expert on paper airplanes. His planes are recognized around the globe, and one was featured in the movie “Paper Planes”. His books have been translated into... Continue Reading →
Ian Keable has been a full-time professional magician for over 30 years, specialising in Comedy Magic. More recently he has branched out into talks both on magic but also subjects such as 18th Century hoaxes, satirical prints and cartoons. He has written three self-published books aimed at magicians including Stand-Up: A Professional Guide to Comedy Magic and Charles Dickens Magician: Conjuring in Life, Letters and Literature. He is presently writing The Century of Deception: The Birth of the Hoax in the Eighteenth Century, due to be published by The Westbourne Press in autumn 2020.
The Words on Wonder concept is simple, I interview a host of creatives, magicians and scientists about their work and how they cultivate & share wonder. They are all people who have inspired me in my own work or just made me go “Wow!”
Robert Crowther was born in Leeds in 1948. He went to Norwich School of Art and the Royal College of Art to study graphic design. Two projects produced at the RCA led to his career, one being the Alphabet Book and the other was a self portrait made out of biscuit in low relief. The biscuit project led to many years of freelance work with Madame Tussaud's and the London Planetarium, as well as Chessington Zoo and Warwick Castle. Since then over 40 pop-ups have been published.
The Right Revd David Walker has held the position of Bishop of Manchester since 2013. Prior to that he was Bishop of Dudley from 2000, following 17 years in assorted parish ministries and industrial chaplaincy in the Diocese of Sheffield. David is Chair of the Advisory Council on the Relations of Bishops and Religious Communities (ACRBRC) – the body which is currently working with new monastic communities as they emerge across the Country. He acts as International Visitor for the Society of Ordained Scientists.
Dr Heather Williams is a Principal Medical Physicist for Nuclear Medicine at The Christie Hospital and honorary Lecturer at the University of Manchester, focussing on teaching imaging physics and positron emission tomography (PET) research. Heather is also a Director of ScienceGrrl, STEMNET ambassador, and active member of the IPEM Nuclear Medicine Special Interest Group and IoP Women in Physics Group committees. Heather also likes standing up and talking about science, and encouraging others (particularly women) to do so. When she's not busy with all that, Heather enjoys running, hiking and introducing her sons to the wonders of the universe, often at the same time.
Words on Wonder 