Uploaded October 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
University of Oxford mathematician Dr Tom Crawford answers 50 questions sent in by YOU to celebrate reaching 100k subscribers. Full list of questions with timestamps below.
3:45 – Do you or your colleagues ever get imposter syndrome?
6:10 – If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?
8:28 – Favourite statistical distribution?
10:08 – What is your dream in the next 10 years?
11:05 – Rugby?
12:15 - Who's your favourite tattoo artist?
13:24 – Is your passion for math decaying over time? If not, do you think you will have this passion forever?
15:10 – Have you ever played any of the ratchet and clank games?
16:20 – Have you ever done math high/drunk?
18:05 – Should you opt for further maths in A levels?
20:00 – I have discovered a truly marvellous question, which this question box is too narrow to contain.
21:17 – What is the most memorable video that you have made?
24:43 – Would you recommend a maths degree for those doing their university applications soon?
26:44 – How do you style your hair?
28:28 – What's your favourite food?
30:08 – What are the reasons for your tattoos?
32:40 – Why didn’t you become a geologist?
35:14 – Do you like metalcore and if so what’s your favourite band?
37:06 – Any advice for a mature student?
39:24 – Is it possible to improve at maths competitions (eg Olympiads) in a matter of months?
41:08 – How did you get into Oxford? And was it always your dream?
44:12 – In the Numberphile podcast you mentioned that your mathematical thinking may have contributed to your love for Pokémon, do you think this applies to any of your other interests?
46:27 - How do you balance, or separate, your personal life from your public persona?
48:58 – Most hated/disliked subject from school?
50:08 – How do you stay so fit?
51:34 – What was the moment you knew maths was for you?
53:19 – Did you do your undergraduate at Oxford or Cambridge?
53:55 – Have there ever been parts of maths that have frustrated you, or you didn't really enjoy?
55:50 – How many digits of pi can you recite off the top of your head?
57:00 – I want to start a YouTube channel but I'm afraid about eventually running out of topics, what would you suggest?
1:00:34 – If you weren’t an educator, what job would you have liked instead where you could apply your knowledge of maths?
1:02:50 – Does it feel weird that some of your students may have seen you in your pants first because of YouTube?
1:05:07 – What/Who inspires you the most and why?
1:06:57 - What kind of art and music inspires you?
1:09:47 – What inspired you to do maths?
1:10:22 – How do you balance your work and scientific life, your psychological comfort, and your self-care?
1:13:25 – Are Oxford professors highly paid?
1:14:48 – What's your favourite number?
1:16:08 – What’s your one piece of advice for prospective Oxford undergrads?
1:18:45 – I'm a maths teacher who often struggles with classes showing no interest or motivation for maths at all - they feel as it's forced upon them and they don't see any use for it. Any tips to engage my pupils more?
1:21:37 – Any tattoos you *regret*?
1:22:42 – How conducive is grade school maths in allowing one to become a mathematician? What tips would you have for an aspiring mathematician to broaden their horizons?
1:25:42 – Do you have pushy, controlling parents?
1:27:23 – Have you studied much philosophy of maths?
1:29:57 - In your opinion, what can the average person do to promote math to a broader audience and current youth?
1:31:44 - What is you advise to someone who just started doing research in maths?
1:34:00 – What do you think are some of the most exciting & promising areas within mathematics in the modern day?
1:36:41 – Do you go sock sock shoe shoe or sock shoe sock shoe?
1:37:40 – Why did you choose applied maths over physics?
1:38:23 – Can hitchhikers make it to the edge of the universe?
1:40:11 – What are your thoughts on Erik Ten Haag becoming Man Utd manager?
1:41:43 – Do you know if top universities like Oxford consider applicants into their postgraduate programmes who have undergrad degrees from lesser institutions?
1:43:16 – Was teaching at Oxford one of your goals? Or did the opportunity show itself and you took it?
1:45:32 – What do you love most about teaching math?
1:47:33 – Who is your favourite mathematician in history and why?
1:50:00 - Was there one particular maths problem from your schooling that you remember most clearly above the rest? If so, why?
Produced by Dr Tom Crawford at the University of Oxford. Tom is an Early-Career Teaching and Outreach Fellow at St Edmund Hall: seh.ox.ac.uk/people/tom-crawford
For more maths content check out Tom's website
tomrocksmaths.com
You can also follow Tom on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @tomrocksmaths.
facebook.com/tomrocksmaths
twitter.com/tomrocksmaths
instagram.com/tomrocksmaths
Get your Tom Rocks Maths merchandise here:
beautifulequations.net/collections/tom-rocks-maths
University of Oxford mathematician Dr Tom Crawford answers 50 questions sent in by YOU to celebrate reaching 100k subscribers. Full list of questions with timestamps below.
3:45 – Do you or your colleagues ever get imposter syndrome?
6:10 – If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?
8:28 – Favourite statistical distribution?
10:08 – What is your dream in the next 10 years?
11:05 – Rugby?
12:15 - Who's your favourite tattoo artist?
13:24 – Is your passion for math decaying over time? If not, do you think you will have this passion forever?
15:10 – Have you ever played any of the ratchet and clank games?
16:20 – Have you ever done math high/drunk?
18:05 – Should you opt for further maths in A levels?
20:00 – I have discovered a truly marvellous question, which this question box is too narrow to contain.
21:17 – What is the most memorable video that you have made?
24:43 – Would you recommend a maths degree for those doing their university applications soon?
26:44 – How do you style your hair?
28:28 – What's your favourite food?
30:08 – What are the reasons for your tattoos?
32:40 – Why didn’t you become a geologist?
35:14 – Do you like metalcore and if so what’s your favourite band?
37:06 – Any advice for a mature student?
39:24 – Is it possible to improve at maths competitions (eg Olympiads) in a matter of months?
41:08 – How did you get into Oxford? And was it always your dream?
44:12 – In the Numberphile podcast you mentioned that your mathematical thinking may have contributed to your love for Pokémon, do you think this applies to any of your other interests?
46:27 - How do you balance, or separate, your personal life from your public persona?
48:58 – Most hated/disliked subject from school?
50:08 – How do you stay so fit?
51:34 – What was the moment you knew maths was for you?
53:19 – Did you do your undergraduate at Oxford or Cambridge?
53:55 – Have there ever been parts of maths that have frustrated you, or you didn't really enjoy?
55:50 – How many digits of pi can you recite off the top of your head?
57:00 – I want to start a YouTube channel but I'm afraid about eventually running out of topics, what would you suggest?
1:00:34 – If you weren’t an educator, what job would you have liked instead where you could apply your knowledge of maths?
1:02:50 – Does it feel weird that some of your students may have seen you in your pants first because of YouTube?
1:05:07 – What/Who inspires you the most and why?
1:06:57 - What kind of art and music inspires you?
1:09:47 – What inspired you to do maths?
1:10:22 – How do you balance your work and scientific life, your psychological comfort, and your self-care?
1:13:25 – Are Oxford professors highly paid?
1:14:48 – What's your favourite number?
1:16:08 – What’s your one piece of advice for prospective Oxford undergrads?
1:18:45 – I'm a maths teacher who often struggles with classes showing no interest or motivation for maths at all - they feel as it's forced upon them and they don't see any use for it. Any tips to engage my pupils more?
1:21:37 – Any tattoos you *regret*?
1:22:42 – How conducive is grade school maths in allowing one to become a mathematician? What tips would you have for an aspiring mathematician to broaden their horizons?
1:25:42 – Do you have pushy, controlling parents?
1:27:23 – Have you studied much philosophy of maths?
1:29:57 - In your opinion, what can the average person do to promote math to a broader audience and current youth?
1:31:44 - What is you advise to someone who just started doing research in maths?
1:34:00 – What do you think are some of the most exciting & promising areas within mathematics in the modern day?
1:36:41 – Do you go sock sock shoe shoe or sock shoe sock shoe?
1:37:40 – Why did you choose applied maths over physics?
1:38:23 – Can hitchhikers make it to the edge of the universe?
1:40:11 – What are your thoughts on Erik Ten Haag becoming Man Utd manager?
1:41:43 – Do you know if top universities like Oxford consider applicants into their postgraduate programmes who have undergrad degrees from lesser institutions?
1:43:16 – Was teaching at Oxford one of your goals? Or did the opportunity show itself and you took it?
1:45:32 – What do you love most about teaching math?
1:47:33 – Who is your favourite mathematician in history and why?
1:50:00 - Was there one particular maths problem from your schooling that you remember most clearly above the rest? If so, why?
Produced by Dr Tom Crawford at the University of Oxford. Tom is an Early-Career Teaching and Outreach Fellow at St Edmund Hall: seh.ox.ac.uk/people/tom-crawford
For more maths content check out Tom's website
tomrocksmaths.com
You can also follow Tom on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @tomrocksmaths.
facebook.com/tomrocksmaths
twitter.com/tomrocksmaths
instagram.com/tomrocksmaths
Get your Tom Rocks Maths merchandise here:
beautifulequations.net/collections/tom-rocks-maths
