Simon Singh Interview and Competition!

Recently, we were able to catch up with science and mathematics author, journalist and TV producer, Simon Singh. Simon is the best-selling author of “The Code Book”, a book that delves into the mathematics of cryptography, and “Fermat’s Last Theorem”.

To celebrate the release of his latest book “The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets” we asked Simon his advice for aspiring code breakers and who in the industry he would love to have a conversation with.

We also have 5 signed copies of Simon’s book to give away. Keep your eyes peeled for our competition at the end of this blog!

Hey Simon, thanks for chatting with us. Where do you get your ideas for your books from?

There is no real pattern or plan, but it is hard to find ideas that I am passionate about, which others will care about, and which are in some way original. In fact, I have had a book idea since 2006. I have published two books since then, but they are both based on pre-2006 ideas.

What is your favorite historical story of when codes have influenced events?

I start “The Code Book” with the story of Mary Queen of Scots and the Babington Plot, which was foiled when Mary’s enciphered messages fell into the hands of Elizabeth I’s codebreakers. The codes are simple to understand and simple to break (from a modern perspective), but the result was that Mary was executed for treason and this largely put an end to any hope of a future Catholic monarch of England.

What advice do you have for aspiring code breakers and cyber security experts?

Math’s, math’s and more math’s. You don’t have to be a genius mathematician to have a career in cyber security, but it certainly helps to be a strong mathematician. Also, I think a strong maths education at school helps develop a whole range of schools that go beyond algebra and geometry, such as developing stamina, creativity, logic and general problem-solving skills. Most of all, a good maths education encourages students to embrace difficult problems, not shy away from them. In my opinion, the problem is that most UK secondary schools don’t stretch good mathematicians and therefore fail to turn them into excellent mathematicians. So, I would encourage students to go beyond classroom maths in order to challenge themselves.

If you could have a conversation with anyone in the industry, dead or alive who would it be and why?

In “The Code Book”, I wrote about the secret discovery of public key cryptography by GCHQ in the UK. The senior figure in the team behind non-secret encryption (as it was called) was James Ellis, but he died just a few weeks after I started researching “The Code Book”, so we never met. Ellis invented the concept, but it was two newcomers to GCHQ, Clifford Cocks and Malcolm Williamson, who developed two mathematical approaches that turned his concept into a reality. I was unable to hear about his memories of those moments when Cocks and Williamson knocked on his door and explained their mathematics to him.

Competition time!

We have 5 signed copies of the “The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets” to give away!

To be in with the chance of winning a signed book, head over to our Facebook or Instagram and comment on the post with your answer to “If you could have a conversation with anyone in the cyber security industry, dead or alive who would it be and why?”.

To enter you must have liked either our Facebook or Instagram page and commented on the post with your answer. We will pick our 5 favourite answers to send a signed book!

Closing date for entry will be 4th May 2018. After this date, no further entries to the competition will be permitted. Winners will be picked on the 7th May 2018.

The competition terms and conditions can be found here.