Tommaths (he/him)

@teakayb.mathsy.space

4145 Followers 832 Following

UK-based Museum Learning Consultant & Maths Communicator 📖 Author of The Mathematicians' Library: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16778/9781836004851 🌐 TeaKayB.mathsy.space 🕸️ @TeaKayB.mathstodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy #MathsInMuseums #MuseumEd #MathsJam

A quiet summer evening over a small car park, with rows of parked cars framed by tall, leafy hedges. The sky fades from pale blue to warm gold near the horizon, while a slender crescent Moon hangs above the rooftops beside a single bright point of light. Streetlights have just switched on, adding soft pools of light that hint at the transition from day to night, giving the otherwise ordinary scene a calm, peaceful atmosphere.
A hand holds a folded navy-blue umbrella in bright sunshine. Printed across the fabric in large white lettering are the words “University of Leicester” across two lines, with the folds obscuring each end of both lines of text. The pale stone paving in the background is softly out of focus, drawing attention to the umbrella’s bold blue colour and weathered printed logo.
A square photo shows four hardback editions of the same mathematics book arranged in a neat two-by-two grid on a pale patterned fabric background. Each cover represents a different language edition. Top left is the Polish edition, featuring an antique astronomical chart with a circular design centred on Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. Top right is the German edition, whose striking cover displays a vivid purple-and-pink fractal pattern on a black background. Bottom left is the Japanese edition, with bold white Japanese lettering over a colourful swirling abstract shape in blue, green, purple and pink. Bottom right is the Spanish edition, which returns to the antique astronomical chart design, this time with Spanish text. Together, the four books highlight the same work reaching readers across different languages while showcasing the distinct visual identity chosen for each edition.
A StoryGraph monthly wrap-up for June 2026. The summary reports 2 books finished, 734 pages read, and an average rating of 4.5 stars. The highest-rated completed read is Witches Abroad with 5 stars, while The Midwich Cuckoos receives 4 stars. The average completed book length is 262 pages, and the average time taken to finish a book is 18 days. A green line graph plots pages read each day, ranging from 3 pages on the quietest day to a peak of 66 pages on 6 June, with several other strong reading days exceeding 40 pages later in the month.
A close-up selfie of a man with shoulder-length, wavy brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard, wearing large black sunglasses and an orange T-shirt. They face the camera with a relaxed, neutral expression. The dark lenses reflect a phone screen that shows the selfie being taken. Behind them, a white wall is decorated with a black clock featuring an illustration of a Lancaster bomber aircraft, while daylight from a nearby window brightens the room. The overall feel is casual and quietly playful, with the mirrored screen reflection adding an unexpected detail.
A tilted (almost 45 degrees...) view through a window looks across a quiet parking area towards a modern five-storey office building with a grid of large windows and pale stone cladding. Several parked cars line the forecourt, including a black urban 4-by-4 and a black Audi in the foreground, while bright summer sunshine reflects from the windows and casts crisp shadows. A strip of paving and gravel runs along the right-hand edge, with a few tufts of grass pushing through the cracks, giving the otherwise neat urban scene a lived-in feel.
A copy of Mathematics Today rests on top of a dark backpack and some clothing. The magazine’s bright pink-and-blue cover features a beach scene with a yellow bucket, a sandcastle and a blue plastic spade, matching the headline “Maths on Holiday Special Issue”. Superimposed across the centre in large white text is the teaser, “Turn to page 70…”, hinting at a surprise article or puzzle. The contrast between the academic journal and the cheerful seaside imagery gives the cover a playful, summer-holiday feel.
A clothbound hardback edition of Moby-Dick stands upright on a weathered turquoise metal table outdoors. The deep navy-blue cover is decorated with a repeating pattern of white whale silhouettes and harpoon-like arrows, with the title at the top and “Herman Melville” at the bottom. The book is photographed at a slight angle, making it appear almost monumental despite its ordinary size. Behind it, the background falls softly out of focus: a dark doorway, a bright green chair, and hints of garden furniture beneath a cloudy sky. The striking contrast between the rich blue cover and the vivid turquoise table gives the image a fresh, nautical feel that echoes the novel’s maritime themes.
A May 2026 reading calendar tracking chart from The StoryGraph for user @teakayb. The image displays a monthly calendar grid where each day shows the number of pages read alongside a book icon. Colored horizontal bars span across different dates to track the duration of individual books.Two books are marked as finished with a 4.0-star rating: "Flatland" by Edwin A. Abbott and "The Power of Geography" by Tim Marshall. The calendar highlights Wednesday, May 20th as the day with the "Most Pages Read," featuring a gold trophy icon next to a count of 103 pages. At the bottom, a row displays the covers of six books tracked during the month, labeled as either rated or currently "Reading."
A slightly crumpled shop sign in a black clip frame advertises a “Mix & Match” chocolate offer. The notice invites customers to “Choose any selectors from the Wall of Chocolate”, with prices listed as 3 for £13.95, 5 for £23.25, and 10 for £46.50.
Three people smile at a conference display table for the History and Mathematics in Education Network, set in a bright atrium with large glass windows and modern buildings visible outside. On the left, a woman wearing glasses (Elinor Flavell) holds up a yellow leaflet titled Much Ado About Numbers. In the middle, a man (Thomas K. Briggs) reaches across the table, surrounded by books, pamphlets and historical mathematics materials. On the right, a man in a dark shirt (Rob Eastaway) presents a printed information sheet towards the camera. Behind them, a tall banner with the group’s logo and the words “The History and Mathematics in Education Network” frames the scene, giving the photograph the feel of a lively academic fair or outreach event.
Photograph of a book display celebrating The Mathematician’s Library by Thomas K Briggs as “Book of the Year 2025”. A large poster shows the book winning both the main award and the readers’ choice award, with matching cover images framed by geometric diagrams and celestial-style artwork. In front of the poster, a handwritten sign advertises a “conference special price” of £20, reduced from an RRP of £28 marked through in red. The scene has the feel of a busy conference or exhibition stall, with bright indoor light and blurred shelves in the background.
A tightly framed view between neighbouring buildings shows pale cream brickwork filling most of the image. Two blank side walls dominate the foreground, divided by a narrow black drainpipe running vertically through the centre. The bricks are slightly uneven in tone, with dark mortar lines and occasional stains and cracks that hint at age and weathering. In the gap beyond, the façade of another building appears with tall sash windows covered by softly gathered lavender-grey curtains. The composition is stark and geometric, turning ordinary urban architecture into a pattern of rectangles, lines, and muted colours.
A plush black-and-tan dachshund toy stands proudly on a display table in a bright indoor venue, photographed from a low angle that makes it look almost life-sized. Its velvety fur, floppy ears, and oversized paws give it a soft, friendly appearance. Behind it, tall windows flood the space with daylight, while a blurred exhibition banner for St Paul’s advertises school sessions and visitor activities in colourful blocks of orange, pink, green, and purple. A small wooden cube sits in the foreground beside the toy, adding to the feel of a busy outreach or museum-style display.
A pastel-toned reading summary graphic titled “@teakayb’s April 2026 Wrap-Up.” At the top, three rounded boxes show key stats: 2 books, 684 pages, and an average rating of 4.25. Below, a section labelled “Highest Rated Reads” displays two book covers side by side: Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett rated 4.5 stars, and The War of the Worlds rated 4.0 stars. To the right, smaller text notes an average book length of 319 pages and an average time to finish of 30 days. The bottom half features a line graph of pages read per day across April (days 1–30). Reading fluctuates at low to moderate levels for most of the month, with a noticeable spike around day 9 and a sharp peak on day 30, which is the highest point on the chart. The overall impression is of steady, occasional reading with a strong finish at the end of the month.
Illustrated space mission diagram showing a journey from Earth to the Moon and back, with numbered stages tracing the path. On the left, a large view of Earth is encircled by looping yellow and blue orbital paths. Small numbered markers (1–6) follow a spacecraft as it lifts off (1), enters low Earth orbit (2), and performs a series of manoeuvres that stretch its orbit into a long oval around the planet (3–5). At point 6, the spacecraft leaves Earth orbit and begins heading into deep space. Across the centre, the path extends outward (7), curving towards the Moon on the right. Near the Moon, the spacecraft performs a flyby (8), swinging around it before turning back towards Earth. A second, blue trajectory shows the return route (9). At the top right are simplified drawings of the Orion spacecraft—one in flight with solar panels extended, and one as part of the tall Space Launch System rocket, with parts labelled such as the crew module. The numbered key along the bottom names each stage, ending with re-entry (11) and splashdown in the ocean (12). The overall image clearly maps the full mission: launch, orbit, journey to the Moon, flyby, and return home.
A view of Earth from space, shown as a curved, half-lit globe against a deep black background. Sunlight illuminates the lower-left portion, revealing swirling white cloud systems over blue oceans, while the upper-right fades into darkness along a soft diagonal line (called the 'terminator'). The planet appears calm and delicate, suspended alone in the vast emptiness of space.
View from inside a dark spacecraft, looking out through a small, rounded window. Beyond the thick frame and bundled cables, Earth appears half-lit against the blackness of space—its blue oceans and swirling white clouds sharply defined, with sunlight catching the curve of the planet. The interior foreground is dim and mechanical, emphasising the quiet contrast between the cramped, engineered cabin and the vast, luminous world outside.
A pastel-toned reading summary graphic titled “@teakayb’s March 2026 Wrap-Up.” It reports 1 book read, totalling 545 pages, with an average rating of 5.0 stars. The featured “Highest Rated Read” is Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle, by Ben MacIntyre, shown with its red-and-black cover and a 5.0 rating. Additional stats note an average book length of 368 pages and an average of 37 days to finish. Along the bottom, a line chart tracks pages read each day of the month, mostly between about 5 and 35 pages, with a sharp spike near day 28 reaching roughly 80 pages before dropping back down. The StoryGraph logo appears in the corner.
A side-by-side comparison of Ryan Gosling and Thomas K. Briggs. On the left is Thomas, a person with shoulder-length brown hair and light facial hair sits indoors against a pale wall, wearing round glasses, a patterned cream cardigan, and a dark graphic T-shirt. They rest one hand on their head and look directly at the camera with a calm, slightly tired expression; a small framed picture hangs high on the wall behind them. On the right, Gosling has shorter but similarly ruffled hair and wears glasses and a similar cardigan. His setting is warmly lit. He looks slightly off-camera with a faint, knowing smile, with one hand resting on his head in a pose similar to Tom's. The lighting and styling give the right-hand image a more cinematic feel, highlighting the resemblance between the two.
View through a slightly dusty bus window onto a busy London junction. In the foreground, several pedestrians cross at different angles, including a jogger in bright trainers and a couple of people in coats and backpacks. Cars and a black cab weave through the crossroads, while traffic lights and yellow box markings organise the flow. On the left, a large historic stone building with tall columns sits beneath leafless trees. On the right, a red-brick corner building with white trim houses shops at street level, including an Italian restaurant with blue signage. The road stretches into the distance between rows of buildings, with buses and vans further along, under a pale sky with patches of cloud.
A close-up photo taken in a museum gallery shows a person in the foreground, wearing round glasses and looking sideways with a curious, slightly puzzled expression. Their finger points toward a small porcelain jug displayed behind them in a glass case. The jug is dark blue with gold decoration and a tiny painted giraffe (that looks more like a sort of long-necked leopard) in the centre. A green label beneath the stand reads “13”, and the background wall is covered with a large black-and-white illustration.
A person with shoulder-length hair, round glasses, and a short beard stands beside a tall bookshelf packed with science and mathematics books. Wearing a dark T-shirt and green checked shirt, they gesture with an open hand towards a shelf labelled “M.2 Physics”, as if presenting the collection. Nearby shelves are labelled with other subjects such as maths and astronomy above, and natural history and evolution below, while colourful book spines— including titles by Carl Sagan and Martin Rees—line the wooden shelves behind them
Looking up from beneath an open umbrella, its blue canopy covered in bright orange and white mathematical diagrams, equations, graphs, and geometric shapes. Black umbrella ribs radiate from the centre like spokes. At the bottom edge of the frame, the top of a person’s face is visible — curly hair, glasses, eyes peering upwards, and a conspicuous pair of nostrils— giving the impression of sheltering under a canopy of maths.
A yellow hardback book titled A Little History of Mathematics by Snezana Lawrence stands upright on a soft pink surface. The cover features a bold, medieval-style illustration of three robed figures lifting a right-angled triangle with sides labelled a, b & c. The title appears in black and red lettering against the plain yellow background, making it clear and easy to read.
A detailed LEGO display arranged on a wooden surface: a large beige triceratops skull with long, curved horns dominates the scene. In front of it sits a small LEGO display base with a minifigure, tools, and printed label (which isn't readable at this angle). To the right, a small white, translucent marble polar bear figure stands upright on a mat, and decorative plates and foliage hang in the background in an eclectic decorative arrangement.
A colourful LEGO Star Wars display crowded with droids and workshop clutter. In the centre, a red-and-white astromech droid sits among tools and translucent blue elements, while other small droids gather around benches and consoles. Spare parts, robot arms, and bright accessories fill the scene, giving the impression of a busy droid repair bay alive with activity and character.
A man in a dark suit is captured mid-fall, tumbling towards the camera with wide eyes and an open mouth, as if shouting or gasping. He grips a handgun in one hand while shards of blue-lit glass explode around him, frozen in motion, creating a dramatic, high-energy action moment.
A man in a dark suit is captured mid-fall, tumbling towards the camera with wide eyes and an open mouth, as if shouting or gasping. He grips a handgun in one hand while shards of blue-lit glass explode around him, frozen in motion, creating a dramatic, high-energy action moment.
Mirror selfie of a person standing in a bedroom, holding a phone in one hand and pointing directly towards the camera with the other, mouth open in a playful, mock-shocked expression. They’re wearing glasses, a black Christmas T-shirt featuring Darth Vader and stormtroopers with the slogan “I’m on the Naughty List,” and dark pyjama bottoms patterned with white festive icons. Behind them is a neatly made bed with a patchwork quilt, wooden furniture, and soft, warm lighting that gives the room a cosy, lived-in feel.
A small LEGO BB-8 droid stands on a textured surface, wearing a shiny black top hat perched at a jaunty angle. Beside it is a bright green LEGO stand topped with a yellow star, resembling a playful Christmas tree or festive ornament. The background is softly blurred magazine edges.
A mirror selfie of a smiling person with shoulder-length wavy hair and glasses, holding a phone. They’re wearing a grey sweatshirt with bold red text reading “Now I have a machine gun ho-ho-ho,” and pointing at the slogan with one finger. A bright room and a framed picture are visible in the background.
Close-up of a LEGO forge-like scene built from grey bricks, with a sloped, metal-like surface. On top sit several red and orange spare droid arms arranged upright, creating a bright contrast against the muted structure. A long-handled LEGO tool lies in the foreground, while the softly blurred background suggests a compact, well-used workshop setting.
A small green and brown LEGO robot stands on a dark surface with its arms stretched wide, as if in greeting or dancing. Its shape vaguely resembles a Christmas tree, especially Ruth its green colouring and brown base. Behind it, softly out of focus, is a decorated Christmas tree in a cosy living room.
A small LEGO probe droid hovers facing the camera, three spindly grey arms dangling. Its body is built from dark and light grey pieces with glossy black tubing, and a single red circular “eye” glows at the centre like a camera lens. The snow-white background is softly blurred and pale, making the little mechanical creature feel oddly lifelike and curious, as if it’s just paused to look back at you.
A small metallic Lego Super Battledroid stands on the closed lid of a laptop, one arm raised straight up as if waving or celebrating, lit by soft purple and blue light against a blurred, bedsheet background.
A small red-and-white wheeled droid built from Lego bricks, its chunky wheels (made from 1x1 white studs) and simple shape standing out against a gently blurred indoor scene.
A small LEGO scene: a tan, white & grey headless battledroid minifigure stands beside a LEGO workbench. The front of the bench is lined with four brightly coloured cylindrical storage drawers in green, red, blue and yellow, while the top surface holds two crates containing left-over pieces and a battledroid's head, creating the feel of a compact workshop.
A small tan LEGO battledroid minifigure stands on a light fabric surface. One thin mechanical arms is bent and grey, and the other is tan and straight. Both hold an extra, disconnected arm of the opposite type. Its legs are straight, its head narrow, and a short antenna rises from its back. Soft lighting casts a long shadow to the right, giving the scene a playful, stop-motion feel against a pale, unfussy background.
A small Lego robot on wheels, built from light grey pieces, raises multiple spanner-like arms as if waving or working. It has a simple binocular-style head and sits on a cream and red base, with warm lighting and a softly blurred background giving it a playful, workshop-like feel.
A small LEGO minifigure stands facing the camera. It has a dark, featureless face with glowing yellow eyes, a brown hood pulled low, and a green jumper printed with a festive, droid-themed pattern. The background is softly blurred, with warm indoor lighting and hints of bottles and furniture, making the toy feel like a tiny character caught in a real room.
A small LEGO scene on a soft brown surface: a brown wheeled transport with a pale grey robotic arm suspends a red-and-white droid. Warm light filters in from the background, giving the setup the feel of a tiny space mission paused mid-task.
A small LEGO scene on a soft brown surface: a brown wheeled transport with a pale grey robotic arm suspends a red-and-white droid. Warm light filters in from the background, giving the setup the feel of a tiny space mission paused mid-task.
A small LEGO military-style transport vehicle made from brown and tan bricks rests on a metal surface. It has six small black wheels, a low-profile body, and a short grey barrel-like detail at the front, with a simple raised section on top suggesting a cab or turret. The background is softly out of focus, drawing attention to the miniature vehicle in the foreground.
A small white Lego mini-minifigure droid, lit by a bright spotlight, stands on a dark, reflective surface. The robot has a boxy head with blue details and jointed limbs, casting a soft shadow behind it. The background is mostly out of focus, with faint circular shapes lying on the surface.
A small LEGO droid made from red, grey, white, and yellow bricks sits on a sunlit surface. It has a rounded red top and a bright, transparent red piece at the front. Strong light from the side casts soft shadows and makes the colours appear vivid.
A small LEGO tool rack holding a hammer, hook, spanner, and screwdriver, sharply in focus against a blurred background of scattered bricks and a soft glow of light.
A small strip of white paper folded into a zig-zag, angular shape sits on a wooden surface. The lighting has a purple tint, casting coloured shadows and giving the paper a soft glow against the wood grain.
A small grey toy crate sits on a softly lit surface, filled with tiny yellow and black plastic pieces. Dramatic, cool-toned lighting creates deep shadows around it, making the little box appear almost stage-lit against a dark, blurred background.
A small LEGO-built robot-like figure with two round white dome pieces on its sides, two stacked red circular elements in the center resembling eyes or sensors, and four thin black legs extending outward. It stands on a cylindrical base against a horizontally textured background illuminated with blue light.
A close-up photo of a small red-and-white LEGO astromech droid standing on a soft white surface, with a softly blurred light background.
“Close-up photo of a custom LEGO gonk droid made from small white and grey bricks with bright pink and blue translucent pieces. It stands on two blocky feet and has various protruding parts resembling sensors and tools, lit by a dramatic blue glow against a dark reflective surface.”
A close-up photo of a LEGO C-3PO minifigure reclining in a lounge chair on top of a reflective glass surface, brightly lit with vivid yellow and metallic details.
A small LEGO-built pit droid, made from brown and tan pieces, stands on a soft white textured surface while holding a translucent part in one hand, and a black/tan thingy in the other. A bright light casts a tall, dramatic shadow of the droid on the wall behind it.
A close-up photo of a LEGO minifigure resembling the Star Wars droid C-3PO. The figure is yellow-gold with detailed printed circuitry on the torso and arms, and round red eyes. The background is softly blurred with pastel colors, including blue, pink, and green shapes.
A small LEGO-built gadget sits on a glossy surface that mirrors it perfectly, like a tiny sci-fi workstation. Bright pieces—red, yellow, lime green, and translucent—jut out from the compact grey-and-black base, giving it the look of a futuristic control console glowing under studio lights.
A small, stylized toy figurine with a brown helmet and square glasses stands at the edge of a smooth, reflective surface. The background is softly blurred, making the tiny character appear heroic and slightly dramatic atop its perch.
The front of the 2025 Star Wars Advent Calendar box which shows... The 2025 Star Wars Advent Calendar, open in front of a street scene from (I think) one of the third Star wars movie trilogy movies. Some of the builds to come are pictured, but I won't describe them so as to avoid spoilers.
A plush white rat wearing a colorful knitted scarf sits perched on top of a large illustrated book titled The Mathematicians' Library, with windows and chairs softly blurred in the background.
The rather attractive cover of the hardback book, The Mathematicians' Library, by Thomas K. Briggs, with text overlaid that advertises "author-signed copies available" for ÂŁ25 + ÂŁ5 p&p (UK only).