This issue of Plus is devoted to the winning entries of the Plus New Writers Award 2006.

Secondary school

General public

Winner Let 'em roll Dice are invaluable to many games, especially gambling games, but instead of playing with ordinary 1-6 numbered dice here are two interesting alternatives - with a twist! Runner-up Drinking coffee in the Klein Café Dusty books, chalky blackboards and checked shirts are all things usually associated with maths. But according to Jonathan Tims, pubs, hot chocolate and cats can be far more inspirational. Join him on a trip through shadow land. Runner-up The death of the lightning calculator Being good at mental arithmetic isn't going to gain you much street cred these days. But, as Owen Daniel explains, not so long ago it was a sure route to fame and fortune — even if you were a horse.

Winner An enormous theorem: the classification of finite simple groups Enormous is the right word: this theorem's proof spans over 10,000 pages in 500 journal articles and no-one today understands all its details. So what does the theorem say? Richard Elwes has a short and sweet introduction. Runner-up Damn lies "Lies, damned lies, and statistics..." Ben Parker tells us how to tell good statistics from bad, and make sure your cat is well-fed. Runner-up We must know, we will know Great minds spark controversy. This is something you'd expect to hear about a great philosopher or artist, but not about a mathematician. Get ready to bin your stereotypes as Rebecca Morris describes some controversial ideas of the great mathematician David Hilbert.

From Einstein to water power, Plus author Anita King explains where maths has got her.