Olga Paris-Romaskevich is a CNRS researcher at Marseille Institute of Mathematics, working in dynamical systems. In this interview Olga talks about the joy of popularizing mathematics and shares a truly inspiring story of how she (almost) quit math!

Olga's webpage: https://romaskevich.carrd.co​

https://marielhuissier.carrd.co​ (Marie Lhuissier, mathematical storyteller)

https://www.mathematiquesvagabondes.fr​ (French association Mathématiques Vagabondes created by Olga Paris-Romaskevich and Marie Lhuissier, to foster exchange between arts and mathematics)

https://matematika.mathematiquesvagab...​ (site of the MАТЕМАТИКА project — exchanging with women in mathematics in Russia)

http://ciel.mmi-lyon.fr/​ Exhibition Mathematics of the sky

0:00​ teaser

00:30​ unexpected interview outcome

01:16​ when math research became a choice

04:45​ why you choose math

8:44​ what being a mathematician means 

10:43​ how math changed you

12:50​ which skills math research gives you

17:16​ desired changes in the math community

21:21​ what’s included in “inclusivity”

25:48​ young mathematicians feeling included

28:14​ math as an instrument in life

32:28​ why popularize math

36:15​ traveling through Russia to collect math stories

38:28​ how Olya inspired me to start “Math-life balance”

39:19​ the importance of dreaming

40:10​ how Olya quit academia (not clickbait:) )

44:28​ what happens when you decide to stop doing math

47:30​ don’t change how you are, change the world around

49:57​ not working when you don’t have motivation

51:38​ how to learn a TED talk

53:24​ cool metaphor of math research

56:12​ advice to those who feel lost these days