British technologist and businessman
Conrad Wolfram (born 10 June 1970) is a British technologist and businessman known for his work in information technology and mathematics education reform.[1][2] In June 2020, Wolfram released his first book, The Math(s) Fix: An Education Blueprint for the AI Age.[3][4][5][6]
Education and early life
Born in Oxford, England, in 1970, Wolfram was educated at Dragon School and Eton College where he learned to program on a BBC Micro.[7] He was an undergraduate student at Pembroke College, Cambridge[8] where he studied the Natural Sciences tripos graduating with a Master of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge.[when?]
Career
Wolfram has been a proponent of Computer-Based Math—a reform of mathematics education to "rebuild the curriculum assuming computers exist."[9][10]
[11][12] and is the founder of computerbasedmath.org.[13][14]
He argues, "There are a few cases where it is important to do calculations by hand, but these are small fractions of cases. The rest of the time you should assume that students should use a computer just like everyone does in the real world."[15] And that "School mathematics is very disconnected from mathematics used to solve problems in the real world".[16] In an interview with the Guardian he described the replacement of hand calculation by computer use as "democratising expertise".[17] He argues that "A good guide to how and what you should do with a computer in the classroom is what you'd do with it outside. As much as possible, use real-world tools in the classroom in an open-ended way not special education-only closed-ended approaches."[18]
In 2009, he spoke about education reform at the TEDx Conference at the EU Parliament.[19][20] and again at TED Global 2010 where he argued that "Maths should be more practical and more conceptual, but less mechanical,"[21] and that "Calculating is the machinery of math - a means to an end."
In August 2012, he was a member of the judging panel at the Festival of Code, the culmination of Young Rewired State 2012.[22] Wolfram is also part of Flooved advisory board.[23]
On 10 June 2020, Wolfram released his first book, The Math(s) Fix: An Education Blueprint for the AI Age.[24][25][26] The book summarises Wolfram's thoughts on the current state of mathematics education and sets out a vision for a new core subject based on computational thinking.
Wolfram research
Wolfram co-founded Wolfram Research Europe Ltd.[27] in 1991 and remains its CEO.[28] In 1996, he additionally became Strategic and International Director[29] of Wolfram Research, Inc., making him also responsible for Wolfram Research Asia Ltd, and communications such as the wolfram.com website.
Wolfram Research was founded by his brother[30] Stephen Wolfram, the maker of Mathematica software and the Wolfram Alpha knowledge engine.[31]
Wolfram has led the effort to move the use of Mathematica from pure computation system to development and deployment engine,[32][33] instigating technology such as the Mathematica Player family and web Mathematica and by pushing greater automation within the system.[34]
He has also led the focus on interactive publishing technology[35] with the stated aim of "making new applications as everyday as new documents"[36] claiming that "If a picture is worth a thousand words, an interactive document is worth a thousand pictures."[37] These technologies converged to form the Computable Document Format[38] which Wolfram says can "transfer knowledge in a much higher-bandwidth way".[39]
Personal life
Wolfram's father Hugo Wolfram was a textile manufacturer and novelist (Into a Neutral Country) and his mother Sybil Wolfram was a professor of philosophy at the University of Oxford. He is the younger brother of Stephen Wolfram.[citation needed] Wolfram is married to primary care ophthalmology consultant Stella Hornby and has a daughter, Sophia Wolfram.[citation needed]
