Symmetry is all around us. Since the time of the ancient Greeks, from the legend of Pythagoras through to Galileo and Descartes, it has been theorised through science and embodied through music. But how are the creative arts responding to symmetry today? Can the concept help communities to flourish, enriching them through the arts whilst educating them about maths?

In this episode mathematician Artem Pulemotov and musicologist Denis Collins join host Emma Cole to discuss how the concept of symmetry can bridge the divide between arts and science. We explore Artem and Denis' unique partnership and how it has led to the commission of two new compositions, by Nicole Murphy and Robert Davidson, which seek to render the transformations behind multidimensional symmetry systems sonically. Join us to hear excerpts from both compositions, performed by acclaimed ensemble Topology, and to consider the public engagement benefits behind rendering mathematics through music.

This episode features performances from Christa Powell (violin), John Babbage (soprano saxophone), Robert Davidson (bass guitar), and Therese Milanovic (piano). Geoff McGahan is the recording engineer for the musical excerpts from Typology, and Anthony Frangi edited and mastered the overall episode. Matt Bapty is the Creative Flourishing research assistant.

How do we live in an age of uncertain futures? Can we reconcile the different strategies people deploy to future-proof their lives, from the billionaires building bunkers through to prepper subcultures and sovereign citizens? And might the creative arts, if not answer these questions, provide a way into thinking through these questions, to help us live with our anxiety about humanity's future?

In this episode creative non-fiction author Tom Doig and playwright Oliver Gough join hosts Matthew Bapty and Emma Cole to discuss how creative writing intersects with the theme of apocalyptic futures. Tom shares insights into the work he is doing for his next book, We Are All Preppers Now, playing field recordings for listeners from prepper communities and humanising the individuals behind the headlines. Meanwhile, Oliver explores the particular valency of playwriting as a form of creative writing for thinking through the climate crisis. We end the episode with a reading of Oliver's monologue I am the Oil. Lend us your ears as we explore how creative writing for the page and the stage can help us grapple with unknown and even apocalyptic futures.