Now Accepting Scholarship Applications
G4G is pleased to announce the return of our Scholarship Program, which will provide financial assistance to help individuals attending the 16th Gathering 4 Gardner conference. – APPLY HERE
16th Gathering 4 Gardner Conference (2026)
From February 18th to 22nd, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco (5 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94111), G4G participants will assemble, in Martin Gardner’s name, to celebrate recreational mathematics, magic, puzzles, skepticism, science, art, literature, and the intersections of these subjects. Participants will offer presentations, performances, original papers, and exhibits. Countless exchanges of ideas and examples of magic will inspire and delight. Unlike many other conferences, G4G is participatory in nature; all attendees are encouraged to contribute, whether that be a 5-minute presentation, an original paper, a unique exhibit, or a novelty item for the gift exchange.
Quick Links:
- Conference Registration – Registration is now open!
- Featured Presenters – Donald Knuth & Danielle Feinberg confirmed!
- What, When, Where – Information about the conference
- 4 Days of Presentations – Held in the Hyatt Regency San Francisco
- Hands-on Activities – Social event with sculpture-building
- Events & Entertainments – Special Events featuring Adam Savage of MythBusters and Gala Entertainment magic and other variety show acts
- Gift Exchange – Participants exchange Gardner-inspired gifts
- Sales & Exhibit Rooms – Sign up to share your passions
- Conference Venue – Hyatt Regency San Francisco (5 Embarcadero Ctr)
- Apply to Attend – Apply for an invitation to G4G16!
- G4G16 Logo – Designed by Scott Kim
- Code of Conduct
Conference Registration
Registration for G4G16 is open! – Please watch your email for important announcements.
All past attendees and approved applicants will receive an official invitation via email. If you expected an invitation and didn’t receive one, please check your SPAM folder. Email support@g4gfoundation.org if you need further assistance.
Featured Presenters
These Featured Presenters will give a longer-format talk as part of the regular programing of the conference.
Donald Knuth
- Presentation Title: All Questions Answered
- Description:
In this impromptu session, Donald Knuth will take questions directly from the audience. Drawing on decades of experience in mathematics, computer science, and problem-solving culture, he will do his best to provide answers that are thoughtful, illuminating, and enjoyable for all in attendance. Having led many such open-format discussions in the past, Knuth finds the exchange rewarding for both speaker and participants—a chance to explore curiosity in real time at G4G16. - Bio:
Donald E. Knuth (B.S. and M.S., Case Institute of Technology 1960; Ph.D., California Institute of Technology 1963) is Professor Emeritus of The Art of Computer Programming at Stanford University. He is the author of numerous books, including five volumes (so far) of The Art of Computer Programming, five volumes of Computers & Typesetting, nine volumes of collected papers, and a non-technical book entitled 3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated. His software systems TEX and META- FONT are extensively used for book publishing throughout the world. He earned many awards, including the Turing Award from the Association for Computing Machinery (1974); the National Medal of Science from President Carter (1979); the Adelsköld Medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (1994); and the Harvey Prize from the Technion of Israel (1995). He holds honorary doctorates from 15 international universities and 19 colleges and universities in the U.S.
Danielle Feinberg
- Presentation Title: The Art of Math and Science:
Bringing Pixar’s Imagined Worlds to Life - Description:
Danielle Feinberg, Visual Effects Supervisor at Pixar Animation Studios, reveals how math and science secretly power the magic of animation. Take a journey behind the scenes to see how mathematical curves grew the lush forests of Brave, how math brought the robots of WALL-E to life in an unexpected way, and how physics created the shimmering colors of the underwater world in Finding Nemo. In the spirit of Martin Gardner, discover how play, puzzles, and problem-solving make math and science the true heroes of Pixar’s storytelling. Bio:
Danielle Feinberg began her career at Pixar Animation Studios in 1997, after receiving her BA in computer science from Harvard University. Her first position was on the movie A Bug’s Life as a render wrangler, an entry level, problem-solving position, and she soon was leading the otherwise all-male department. Feinberg got her first taste of lighting during this time and fell in love with creating the final image for film. She went on to light many of Pixar’s films, including Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., the Oscar-winning Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. Another Oscar winner, Wall•E, was Feinberg’s first movie directing the lighting in her role as Director of Photography. It was heaven for someone whose greatest inspiration is using technology to make art. She went on to oversee the lighting on two more Oscar-winning films, Brave (featuring Pixar’s first film with a girl as the main character) and Coco, celebrating the Mexican holiday, Día de los Muertos. For her next film, Turning Red, Feinberg took on the role of Visual Effects Supervisor. She was the first woman in 20 years to hold this position at Pixar, using both her technical chops and her aesthetic skills, to help push the film to new places. (With 3 women rising to the same role on subsequent films!)Feinberg gives talks around the world about the challenges behind bringing Pixar films to the screen as well as her own life experiences. She also gives talks to girls of all ages, encouraging them to pursue code, math and science by showing them the magic to be found in combining art and technology to create movies. In 2016, she was able to bring that message to a broader audience with her TED talk that was part of the PBS “Science and Wonder” presentation for TED Talks Live. It was named one of the top TED talks of 2016. Feinberg lives in Oakland, CA with her wife and 4-year-old twins. She is a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers.
G4G16 What, When, Where
- WHAT:
The 16th Gathering 4 Gardner Conference (G4G16) - WHEN:
February 18 – 22, 2026
Wednesday through Sunday - WHERE:
Hyatt Regency San Francisco
5 Embarcadero Center
San Francisco, California 94111 USA - Who usually attends?
Our participants include professional and amateur mathematicians, magicians and other performers, artists, educators, scientists, and anyone who is inspired by the same interdisciplinary curiosity that excited our namesake, Martin Gardner. Attendance for G4G16 is capped at 400 individuals. - How much does the conference cost?
Registration is $695 with add-ons available for dinners and performances. The registration fee covers four days of presentations in the Hyatt Regency’s grand ballroom and the traditional Hands-on Activities social and sculpture-building event. Registration does NOT cover food or lodging. - What was the previous event like?
View some of the presentations and Exchange Gifts from past events: - How can I attend?
G4G16 is an invitation-only conference; however, you can apply for attendance. If you are interested, please fill out the application form and explain your passion for Martin Gardner’s legacy or any of his favorite topics. We will be reviewing applications weekly and will let you know if you are accepted. - When does registration open?
Registration for G4G16 is now open! - Other questions?
For all other questions about G4G16, please contact support@g4gfoundation.org or visit the Frequently Asked Questions.
Four Days of Presentations
G4G offers opportunities for participants to share their passions and discoveries. The core of the conference consists of 4 days of brief presentations (generally 5 to 6 minutes).
PLEASE NOTE:
There are no presentations on the afternoon of the Saturday Hands-on Activities social event, which all G4G16 attendees may participate in as part of their conference registration.
Hands-on Activities
On Saturday, we will take a break from talks and spend the afternoon doing Hands-on Activities including building mathematical sculptures.
The traditional “offsite” outdoor event has been moved to the Hyatt’s grand ballroom. As such, this event has been merged with the main conference registration and will NOT require a separate ticket.
All conference attendees and paid guests may participate in the Hands-on Activities!
Events & Entertainments
Events at the conference are times to further connect and meet other attendees.
- Wednesday Feb 18th – View the Gardner Collection at Stanford
Come view Martin Gardner’s Collection at Stanford University before the start of the G4G16 conference! Details to be announced via email and on this page. Check back soon for updates. - Friday Feb 20th – Evening Event Featuring ADAM SAVAGE
A buffet dinner will be followed by dessert and main-stage event.
Special Event ticket required.
Adam Savage
- Event Title:
An Incomplete History of Metrology - Description:
A (ahem) measured yet weighty dive into some of the finer points on the history of metrology* and engineering as they’ve intersected with Adam’s shop process and his science communication.
* metrology: the science of weights and measures - Bio:
Adam Savage is a maker. He is also a New York Times–bestselling author, multiple Emmy-nominated producer/host (co-host of MythBusters), highly decorated YouTube creator, internationally acclaimed science communicator, and cosplayer. He loves to share his passion for making things with the world.
- Saturday Feb 21st – GALA ENTERTAINMENT
A buffet dinner will be followed by our main Gala show with special entertainment. Past shows have included close-up and stage magic along with variety-style acts from juggling to feats of strength and mental math.
Special Event ticket required. - Sunday Feb 22nd at 2pm – EXPLORATORIUM PRESENTATION (2/22 at 2!) Attendees can visit the Exploratorium for free with their G4G16 name badge and in the afternoon watch a talk by Tony DeRose.
DeRose presentation is free and open to the public.
Tony DeRose
- Event Title:
Pixar in a Box: The Math Behind the Movies - Description:
Filmmaking has undergone a revolution brought on by advances in areas such as computer technology, geometry, and applied mathematics. Using numerous examples drawn from Pixar’s feature films, this talk will provide a behind the scenes look at the role that math has played in the revolution. I’ll also introduce Pixar in a Box (pixarinabox.org), a free on-line collaboration with Khan Academy that demonstrates how middle and high school math and science concepts are used to address creative challenges that Pixar has faced. - Bio:
Tony DeRose is a computer scientist and mathematician with over 40 years experience in computer graphics research and development, 23 years of it at Pixar. Prior to Pixar he was a professor of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington. He has always enjoyed teaching, so the opportunity to start an educationally oriented company (xperiential.us) is a dream come true.
Gift Exchange
Traditionally, every Gathering conference includes a Gift Exchange in which attendees swap puzzles, magic tricks, artwork, papers, novelty items, books, etc. Participants in the exchange must submit an item for the physical Exchange Bag or a paper for the G4G archive. If you’re looking for inspiration, think of the exchange as a collection of items Martin Gardner might find intriguing.
Everyone who participates in the Exchange will receive a G4G16 Exchange Bag.
It is optional to bring printed copies of your paper for inclusion in the gift bag at the conference. We will combine all printed items into a G4G16 branded folder for each Exchange Bag. This folder will be in lieu of printing a physical book. After the conference, papers and physical item photos will be made available online via the G4G website and our online archive (with author permission).
To participate in the exchange, a Google signup form will be sent out with the invitation email when conference registration opens.
To learn more about the Gift Exchange, click below:
Sales Room & Exhibits Room
Sales Room: If you are a vendor and wish to sell items to other G4G attendees (examples: books, sculptures, puzzles, mathy toys, etc.) consider reserving a Sales Table. Only attendees who have registered for a Sales Table will be permitted to sell their inventory at the conference.
Exhibits Room: If you have something special to share with the G4G community that is either too large or complex to be reproduced for the gift exchange, consider reserving an Exhibit Table. Past exhibit examples include: surprising 3D-printed objects, physics demonstrations, kinetic sculptures, historical collections, and special edition books, toys, and games.
For both the Sales and Exhibit Room, space is limited and tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Conference Venue:
Hyatt Regency San Francisco (5 Embarcadero Center)
The G4G16 conference will be hosted in the grand ballroom at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco (5 Embarcadero Center). We have discount block pricing for our attendees. To take advantage of these rates, look for the link in your invitation email or call 1-415-788-1234 and let the Hyatt know you are with “Gathering 4 Gardner”.
Please Note: We strongly encourage G4G16 attendees to take advantage of our Hyatt hotel room block. G4G makes every effort to keep participants’ expenses as low as possible, and a lot of effort goes into negotiating affordable hotel rates at the conference venue. By reserving your room in the G4G hotel block, you’ll not only be immersed in the G4G social environment, but also you will help fulfill our commitment to the venue—directly supporting the success of the conference.
Apply to Attend
Anyone with genuine interest in G4G topics is encouraged to apply to attend the G4G16 conference. Please let us know why you are excited to be part of the G4G community!
G4G16 Logo
The G4G16 Logo was Designed by Scott Kim.
Spoiler Alert: before you read the origin of the G4G16 logo, you may want to try and figure it out yourself. What does this logo have to do with the number 16?
If you would like to submit an unofficial logo for G4G16, please email us at: support@g4gfoundation.com.
Code of Conduct
G4G16 is a gathering of people of all ages from many disciplines with different interests. However, we all have one thing in common and that is our love of Martin Gardner and his legacy, which we are there to celebrate. We gather to share our ideas and learn about yours. We gather to see old friends and make new ones and to have a great time!
Some of us have been to all of the Gatherings and some of us are here for the first time. Here are a few guidelines to ensure that we all have a great time.
- We welcome new attendees, especially young attendees who might not find it easy to engage a more senior attendee in conversation.
- We welcome and encourage diversity and different opinions and ideas. However, G4G is not a political platform.
- We encourage mutual respect and ask that you refrain from promoting bias and stereotypes about race, nationality, religion, gender, and sexual orientation, or other personal characteristics.
- If you feel uncomfortable at any time during the meeting because of unbecoming behavior, please notify a G4G board member who will address the issues confidentially.
Thank you and enjoy the Gathering!