A Chinese checkers board set up for a three player game.
Image: Chinese-checkers Wikimedia Commons user Splattne, CC BY-SA 3.0

Calum is a lecturer in physics at Edge Hill University where he studies topological solitons and enjoys talking about maths and physics to anyone who will listen. He can often be found on the side of a mountain or out on a bike, talking to himself about solitons.
More from Chalkdust
Oπnions: In defence of toy models
Calum gets on his soap box about toy modelsCryptic wordsearch, Issue 19
Can you solve it?On the cover: skyrmions
Sven Bjarke Gudnason and Calum Ross introduce you to the wonderful world of skyrmionsIssue 17
Penguins, prison and PDE patterns feature in our Spring 2023 issue. Plus all your favourite puzzles & columns.How to make sci-fi fans angry
Follow these simple steps to frustrate anyone who ever dreamed of using their light saber on the USS EnterpriseOn the cover: Some assembly required
Trippy brain massages from Sam Palmer's artwork on the front of Issue 16