How many pikachus would it take to power a lightbulb? Join us to explore the real maths of fantasy worlds with Tom Crawford!

We are thrilled to welcome Dr Tom Crawford to Blackwell's for an evening exploring the actual facts behind fantasy world scenarios. How many daily calories would you need to feed a Charizard? Join us on Friday 20th November to find out!

Doors: 6.30pm, Starts: 6.45pm

General admission is £5, or included in the cost of a Book & Ticket.

About the book:

Could the Death Star's laser actually blow up a planet?

What is the half-life of the Incredible Hulk?

Is the meaning of life really ‘42’?

Join Dr Tom Crawford on a tour through the real-world maths of the most absurd fantasy universes.

Drawing on a decade's research at some of the world's leading universities, he answers all the most bamboozling maths questions raised byLord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars and more: from calculating Frodo Baggins' life insurance premium for his journey to Mordor, to what it would take to make the Weasley family car fly, to how rich Super Mario would be after he'd gobbled up all those coins.

The result is both a dizzying compendium of fantastical ‘did you know?’ facts and a guide to the mathematics of life, the universe and everything.

About the author:

Dr Tom Crawford is a maths fellow at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. An expert on applied maths, he holds a PhD in Fluid Dynamics from the University of Cambridge, and is Public Engagement Lead at Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education. In addition to his research and teaching, Tom runs the popular ‘Tom Rocks Maths’ YouTube channel. One of the biggest maths creators on the internet, Tom frequently appears on ‘Numberphile’, the world’s largest online maths channel, and has collaborated with the likes of Matt Parker, Alex Bellos and Hannah Fry. He regularly appears on the BBC explaining mathematical subjects for a popular audience, and his research has been featured in iNews, TED.com and the New Scientist. He lives in Oxford, UK.

Tom will be giving a talk followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.

Events are a brilliant opportunity to discover new books, meet authors and likeminded readers and learn something new.Support your local bookshop and help us keep the Manchester literary scene vibrant and exciting. You can follow us on Eventbrite and social media (@BlackwellsMCR) to keep up to date on upcoming events.

If you cannot make the event but would like a dedicated copy of the book, please email events.manchester@blackwell.co.uk or call us on 0161 274 3331.

Description supplied by the event organiser.