Ananyo Bhattacharya
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Chief science writer @London_Inst. 'The Man from the Future', on the unparalleled influence of John von Neumann, available everywhere. For my substack see link.
Articles by Ananyo Bhattacharya
How AI is reshaping discovery in maths and physics
Fink, T. Nature 629, 505 (2024). Article PubMed Google Scholar Hilbert, D. Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 8, 437–439 (1900). Article Google Scholar von Neumann, J. in Works of the Mind Vol. I 180–196 (Univ. Chicago Press, 1947). Google Scholar Atiyah, M., Dijkgraaf, R. & Hitchin, N. Phil. Trans. A Math. Phys. Eng. Sci. 368, 913–926 (2010). Article Google Scholar Weng, K. et al. Preprint at arXiv https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2505.23486 (2025). Fajtlowicz, S. in Annals of Discrete Mathematics Vol. 38 (eds Akiyama, J., Egawa, Y.
What is the point of mathematics?
Welcome back to Confections & Reputations dear readers after a break of over a year. On 24 April, Scientific American reported that Liam Price, a 23-year-old amateur mathematician, had solved a 60-year-old Erdős problem using ChatGPT-Pro. The problem in question was not particularly exciting or important. Nor had it attracted a huge amount of attention from the mathematical community prior to Price’s accomplishment.
AI is revolutionising mathematics
Last week, a 23-year-old amateur with no advanced mathematical training did something many mathematicians never manage in a lifetime: he solved a 60-year-old problem posed by the spectacularly prolific Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdos. Liam Price, armed chiefly with curiosity and a ChatGPT-Pro subscription, found a solution to a long-standing Erdos conjecture that had resisted being solved for decades. Experts say the method appears genuinely new.
Forget formalism: mathematics was built on infighting and emotional turmoil
The Great Math War: How Three Brilliant Minds Fought for the Foundations of Mathematics Jason Socrates Bardi Basic (2025) In the weeks leading up to September 1891, mathematician Georg Cantor prepared an ambush. For years he had sparred — philosophically, mathematically and emotionally — with his formidable rival Leopold Kronecker, one of Germany’s most influential mathematicians.
David Guaspari | The New Criterion
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The Namesake
Few months back I was visiting a book store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I was with a friend who wanted to gift me a book, and so we started searching for a perfect one in the basement full of science and economics books. Whenever I go to the store, I ended up buying more books than I could finish. Even right now, I have a few books on my shelf that I have not touched yet. However, on that particular day, I came across an interesting title — “The Man from the Future” written by Dr. Ananyo Bhattacharya.
Mathematicians Just Cracked a Legendary Problem—Here’s Why It Matters
One of the biggest stories in science is quietly playing out in the world of abstract mathematics. Over the course of last year, researchers fulfilled a decades-old dream when they unveiled a proof of the geometric Langlands conjecture — a key piece of a group of interconnected problems called the Langlands programme.
Landmark Langlands Proof Advances Grand Unified Theory of Math
One of the biggest stories in science is quietly playing out in the world of abstract mathematics. Over the course of last year, researchers fulfilled a decades-old dream when they unveiled a proof of the geometric Langlands conjecture — a key piece of a group of interconnected problems called the Langlands programme.
Testing Physics and AI Based Atmospheric Models for Weather and Climate
This May, I started my new position as a Research Fellow at University of Michigan. Transition to a postdoctoral position has been exciting so far as I am getting to learn new topics and apply my skills to solve real world problems. I also transitioned my research topic towards Earth system modeling with a focus on the Great Lakes region. After starting my new position, I got an opportunity to attend an exciting workshop at National Center for Atmospheric Research located in Boulder, Colorado.
Why Explore Space ?
There have been many instances over the course of last four to five years when people asked me why should we invest in space exploration. The question comes from people with no-STEM training to entrepreneurs and students who want to make it big in their career. Well the truth is that the meaning of space is very different for different people. To scientists, it can be about answering fundamental questions about our environment and the planets around us.
The boundless energy, and ego, of Luis Alvarez
Skip to main content Main content starts here Access the full article View all access options to continue reading this article. Books 1 Collisions: A Physicist’s Journey from Hiroshima to the Death of the Dinosaurs Alec Nevala-Lee Norton, 2025. 352 pp. Information & Authors Information Published In Science Volume 389 | Issue 6756 10 July 2025 Copyright Copyright © 2025 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Visualizing My Code using Graph Networks
Working with large scientific codes needs a thorough understanding of data structures, and strong grip over some programming languages like Fortran, C++ and Python. Four years back, I was learning to code, and I came across the concept of version control system. A version control system like Git manages the development of a code, and makes your life easy working in group settings.
Juno captures Jupiter’s Aurora in Microwave
Jupiter’s is the most massive planet in our solar system, and it has a magnetic field far stronger than our own planet. The interactions with the charged particles from solar wind, and its satellites shape the magnetosphere. This magnetosphere is coupled to the upper atmosphere through a system of currents, causing a large amount of energy deposition into the ionosphere.
Hop over the Moon: What Chandrayaan 3 saw?
India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan 3 achieved the first soft landing near the Moon's South Pole in August 2023. The lander carried multiple payloads to the lunar surface to investigate the lunar plasma, surface composition, and subsurface thermal environment. During its operation, the lander conducted a hop test by hovering over the lunar surface and positioning itself about 40 cm away from its landing site. I compiled the lander camera images during the hop test to check the dust activity.
Visiting Cologne
Ananyo Bhattacharya · Follow 3 min read · -- Last year, I did a small tour of different cities around Germany. I moved in a clockwise direction from Berlin to Munich, and Munich to Cologne. I took a train to the city of Cologne to be greeted by the magnificent Cologne Dom and the banks of the Rhine. The train passed through the Hohenzollern Bridge decorated by locks. Yes, locks that record the memories of loved ones, and people who visit the banks of the Rhine daily.
From Engineering to Science, and Beyond: My Journey in Graduate School
Ananyo Bhattacharya · Follow 2 min read · -- Just four years ago, I was just another student sitting on my desk and making my way out of the covid pandemic. I was fortunate that I stayed with my family, and I got a cushion to work on myself. Reaching out to professors at different universities, and asking out for research positions.
Playing party games
How many parties are there in UK politics? Obviously it depends how you count, how far you go down the list, whether you include the Scottish Libertarian Party and so on. But I want to argue that the answer at the moment is effectively about 5.6, and that’s more than we’ve ever had. To explain what I mean, look at this opinion poll, which is fairly representative of current British politics. There are six parties listed, but some of them don’t stand much of a chance. So how to count?
Why physics is unreasonably good at creating new math
A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people Mathematics has long been the basis for advances in physics. Albert Einstein hailed general relativity as “a real triumph” for mathematics in 1915, when he discovered that purely mathematical work, more than a half-century old, perfectly described the fabric of spacetime in his theory of gravity.
Why is physics so good at math?
Welcome back to Confections & Reputations dear subscribers and thank you for staying with me despite the paucity of actual posts. Since my last post at the end of 2023, I have finished a draft of a children’s science fiction novel (now going through revisions) and joined the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences (LIMS) as chief science writer, which keeps me busy four days a week.
Why Physics Is Unreasonably Good at Creating New Math
ADVERTISEMENT Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. or Join now . Math The secret sauce is the real world. The full Nautilus archive • eBooks & Special Editions • Ad-free reading The full Nautilus archive eBooks & Special Editions Ad-free reading Mathematics has long been the basis for advances in physics.
Nebius AI at the frontiers of physics and maths
Donated computing time is helping researchers at the London Institute model the universe and formulate new conjectures. While theoretical research typically requires nothing more than chalk and a blackboard, it sometimes helps to form our intuition by doing simple numerical experiments. But recently, a new way of guiding discovery has emerged: using AI to look for unexpected patterns as a basis for forming new conjectures.
Paris in Eight Hours
In the last leg of my Europe tour, I visited Belgium. I stayed in Brussels, making it my base for traveling to other parts of the country. Public transport made it really convenient to get around. With two days before my flight back to the US, I was geographically close to France and considered visiting Paris. However, it initially didn't fit into my plans. Later that day, I spoke with a friend from Michigan who was spending her summer in Paris.
Journey to Salzburg
In summer of 2023 I traveled to Europe for a science workshop in Berlin. It was the month of May, and I had a few friends to visit in the European continent. So, I planned a trip around my conference for a three week long vacation. I traveled five countries: Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, and Austria in almost 21 days. It was my first solo trip in a different continent, and quite a liberating experience.
Labatut's 'Frankenstein'
To remove any possibility of misunderstanding, this is not a review of Benjamin Labatut’s book. The MANIAC is an excellent novel and anyone that has not got their hands on a copy should do so because I can assure them that they will devour it in a couple of nights, just like I did.
The Coming of Enki X
Welcome to the latest edition of Confections & Reputations! I’m delighted to present the last installment of ‘The Coming of Enki’! Here are links to Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII and Part IX.
Probing Dust and Water in Martian Atmosphere with Far-Infrared Frequency Spacecraft Occultation
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What it means to me
Entrepreneurship is one of the most frequently discussed topics on the internet today. If you are active on sites like X and LinkedIn, you'll encounter numerous posts from professionals building companies to address specific challenges, or individuals discussing investments and returns. For a long time, the term had an ambiguous meaning for me because I wasn't surrounded by business creators.
Expectancy Theory
A few months ago, I was surprised by a delightful email from ‘Marcheto’, the pseudonym of a Spanish science fiction fan and professional translator who runs Cuentos para Algernon (Short Stories for Algernon), a blog where she publishes her translations of science fiction, fantasy and horror short stories she loves with “with the only aim of giving Spanish readers the chance to enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed them”.
Oppie and Johnny, best frenemies of the Atomic Age. Part I
Will John von Neumann be the vital piece of the puzzle missing from Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming biopic? I don’t know and, sadly, I will not be able to make it to ‘Oppenheimer’ for a while to find out for sure.
Bhattacharya, Ananyo: Amazon.in: Books
A FINANCIAL TIMES AND TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR An exhilarating new biography of John von Neumann: the lost genius who invented our world 'A sparkling book, with an intoxicating mix of pen-portraits and grand historical narrative. Above all it fizzes with a dizzying mix of deliciously vital ideas. . . A staggering achievement' Tim Harford The smartphones in our pockets and computers like brains. The vagaries of game theory and evolutionary biology. Self-replicating moon bases and nuclear weapons.
The Visionary Life of John von Neumann eBook : Bhattacharya, Ananyo: Amazon.in: Kindle Store
A FINANCIAL TIMES AND TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR An exhilarating new biography of John von Neumann: the lost genius who invented our world 'A sparkling book, with an intoxicating mix of pen-portraits and grand historical narrative. Above all it fizzes with a dizzying mix of deliciously vital ideas. . . A staggering achievement' Tim Harford The smartphones in our pockets and computers like brains. The vagaries of game theory and evolutionary biology. Self-replicating moon bases and nuclear weapons.
The Coming of Enki VIII
Welcome to the latest edition of Confections & Reputations. Your donations and subscriptions allow me to keep writing so many, many thanks to those that have paid something to read this substack. I know it’s been a while since I wrote a post on the history of science. There are a few reasons for that.
The Coming of Enki VII
Welcome to the latest edition of Confections & Reputations. Your donations and subscriptions allow me to keep writing so many, many thanks to those that have paid something to read this substack. My essays on the history of computing, mathematics and technology in particular take days to research and write. If you see value in what I’m doing please consider upgrading your subscription so I can keep doing it. Click the button below to upgrade or send me a one-off tip via Cash App.
The Coming of Enki VI
Welcome to the latest edition of Confections & Reputations. Your donations and subscriptions allow me to keep writing so many, many thanks to those that have paid something to read this substack. My essays on the history of computing, mathematics and technology in particular take days to research and write. If you see value in what I’m doing please consider upgrading your subscription by clicking the button below or send me a one-off tip via Cash App.
The fascinating war over the genealogy of the modern computer. Part III
Welcome to Part III of my look at who really invented the computers we use today. Part I, setting out the terms of the debate, is here. Part II, here, looked at the origins and contents of the First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC, considered to be the birth certificate of the modern computer.
The Coming of Enki V
Welcome to the latest edition of Confections & Reputations. Your donations and subscriptions allow me to keep writing so many, many thanks to those that have paid something to read this substack. My essays on the history of computing, mathematics and technology in particular take days to research and write. So I have reluctantly decided most posts will only be free to read for three days so that my labour is not taken for granted.
The fascinating war over the genealogy of the modern computer. Part II
Dear readers, Confections & Reputations is 100% funded by the contributions of generous subscribers. So if you are enjoying these posts, would like to read more of them and can afford to buy me an over-priced London latte once a month, upgrade your subscription by clicking the button below or send me a one-off tip via Cash App. Upgrade to paid In my first post, I set out the background to the tussle over props for inventing the modern computer.
The Coming of Enki IV
Welcome to the latest edition of Confections & Reputations! If you’re a new subscriber here for the science and technology history, the next part of my series on the origins of the modern computer will follow soon. In the meantime, you can peruse these past posts… Who wrote the first modern computer program? (Yes, it even ran before the Manchester Baby cycled through 17 instructions to find the highest factor of 262,144 is 131,072.) Was Gödel's second incompleteness theorem really von Neumann's?
The fascinating war over the genealogy of the modern computer. Part I
Welcome to Confections & Reputations! Thanks to all those that have subscribed since my last newsletter, whether you are here for the science history or the science fiction. On average, about 10 per cent of free Substack subscribers convert to paying subscriptions. Confections & Reputations has less than a quarter of that at the moment. So if you value …
The Coming of Enki III
Welcome to the latest edition of Confections & Reputations! This is the third instalment of a previously unpublished 13,000 word science fiction story I wrote more than five years ago. Here are links to Part I and Part II. I was delighted to read Noahpinion’s post last week on ‘Some ideas for science fiction in the 2020s’. His list of favourite science fiction novels also overlaps broadly with mine so I was curious to read the list of tropes he would like to see in future stories.
Should scientific journals back political candidates? Probably not
Above: Nature inadvertently demonstrating the independence of its news and marketing operations in 2008. How we laughed. I have been advised to increase my subscription costs, which are currently a measly $5/month. I am thinking that over and may do so.
The Coming of Enki II
Welcome to Confections & Reputations. This is the second installment of a previously unpublished 13,000 word science fiction story I wrote more than five years ago. If you missed the first part, you can find it here. All art generated by DALL-E. If you’d like to support my writing for $5 or more a month, that would be much appreciated. Upgrade your subscription by clicking the button below.
Was Gödel's second incompleteness theorem really von Neumann's? Part II
Happy Pi Day! Thank you for subscribing to Confections & Reputations. If you are enjoying this newsletter, please consider upgrading your subscription. This is the concluding part of a two-part post examining recent historical evidence on the discovery of the second incompleteness theorem. The first part of this story can be found here.
Who wrote the first modern computer program?
Welcome to all new subscribers! If you are here for the second part of the story on Gödel, von Neumann and the second incompleteness theorem that will be in your inbox next week. In the meantime… For International Women’s Day this year, I was invited to talk about the incredible Klára Dán von Neumann, the woman who wrote the world’s first modern computer program, for History Hit’s Patented podcast.
Was Gödel's second incompleteness theorem really von Neumann's? Part I
This is the first of two posts on the hidden history of Gödel's second incompleteness theorem. Part II is available here. Kurt Gödel’s first and second incompleteness theorems are legendary accomplishments, “among the most important results in modern logic” and two of the human mind’s most towering intellectual achievements.
The Coming of Enki
I promised there would be science fiction on this blog so here’s the first tranche of a c. 13,000 word story I wrote more than five years ago. The story rated an honourable mention in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest back in 2019 but has never been published before. Let me know what you think in the comments! The picture, by the way, was drawn by DALL-E, with the prompt, “A picture inspired by a science fiction story called 'The coming of Enki'”.
'The Man from the Future' Errata
There were some errors in the first hardback edition of the book, some of which occurred during the typesetting process and were missed, while others were due to my own carelessness. Apologies to those who were kind enough to buy the first edition. Below are the errors, which were corrected for the Penguin paperback, both US editions and all translations (I believe). Errors in bold. p31: ‘vaporising’ is misspelt as ‘vaporizing’ (US).
John von Neumann. L'homme qui venait du futur - L'histoire de l'un des plus grands génies du siècle - Ananyo Bhattacharya (EAN13 : 9782889155071) | EPFL PRESS
Présentation Sommaire Avis Informations Présentation Né à Budapest au début du 20e siècle, John von Neumann est sans conteste l’un des scientifiques les plus influents de l’histoire. Mais également, et très injustement, l’un des plus méconnus du grand public. Véritable génie, il a suscité l’admiration de ses contemporains tout au long d’un parcours exceptionnel.
L'homme qui venait du futur
If all goes to plan, the French translation of The Man from the Future should hit real and virtual bookshops on 16 February. Please encourage French-speaking friends to preorder a copy now or buy them one yourself! Sales in the first week can make or break a book.
The Man from the Future: The Visionary Ideas of John von Neumann|Paperback
An electrifying biography of one of the most extraordinary scientists of the twentieth century and the world he made. The smartphones in our pockets and computers like brains. The vagaries of game theory and evolutionary biology. Nuclear weapons and self-replicating spacecrafts. All bear the fingerprints of one remarkable, yet largely overlooked, man: John von Neumann. Born in Budapest at the turn of the century, von Neumann is one of the most influential scientists to have ever lived.
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