G4G16: A Celebration of Curiosity

Last month, hundreds of creative minds from around the world converged in San Francisco to celebrate the legacy of Martin Gardner. At this biennial conference, known as Gathering 4 Gardner (or G4G16), attendees gathered to explore and share recreational mathematics, magic, puzzles, skepticism, science, art, literature, and the intersections of these subjects.

Martin Gardner was an avid mathematician, magician, and skeptic who championed playful intellectual exploration. He wrote a column in Scientific American for 25 years, captivating the imagination of people of all ages and introducing many to real mathematics. His open and inviting spirit sparked curiosity and made serious topics accessible and fun.  

The G4G Conference is a uniquely interdisciplinary event that creates space for participation, play, and community. It’s not just lectures. Attendees are encouraged to contribute through short presentations, papers, exhibits, performances, and the Gift Exchange. One key principle of G4G is this overlap between scholarly thinking, live performance, puzzle culture, and technology. This is where mathematics, magic, puzzles, and modern innovation meet.

The G4G world stretches far beyond mathematics. This year’s special presenters included Donald Knuth, one of the most influential figures in computer science, renowned for The Art of Computer Programming and for shaping the modern study of algorithms, and Danielle Feinberg, Visual Effects Supervisor at Pixar Animation Studios, who explored how math and science quietly power the magic of animation. Adam Savage of MythBusters rounded out the evening entertainment with his presentation, “An Incomplete History of Metrology.”

Tiago Hirth, long-time attendee and friend of G4G has this to say about his experience at G4G16:

“Many who first attend or who have to explain what they have experienced have difficulty to do so. It's not a convention, it's not a conference, it's not a party ... It is the Gathering. To me G4G is in essence defined by: diversity in greatness of minds and their generosity in sharing and exchanging. It is an extension of the spirit fostered by Martin Gardner in his lifelong correspondence with adepts of (in no particular order) Mathematics, Linguistics, Magic, Skepticism, Philosophy, Science, and Literature. This year G4G16 renewed itself with a change of venue. With it, it grew. Not only in the number of attendants, but also their variety, and spectrum of people from all backgrounds. It felt fresh and promising bringing together the established legends of their fields, like Donald Knuth, Dick Hess, or, Frank Olivier, and brilliant young minds who will hopefully foster the same intellectual modesty and continue giving meaning to knowledge. This confluence of intellectual worlds is like no other being hard to describe and impossible to replicate. Paraphrasing the words of Michael Davis during the gala show: Every Gathering 4 Gardner is unique, this one was different, magnificent as usual.”

G4G16 took place February 18 to 22, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco. After Atlanta hosted the first 15 gatherings, G4G16 felt right at home in San Francisco, a hub for technology, creativity, design, and innovation. Around 400 attendees from across the world and a wide range of ages came together to exchange ideas and inspiration at this inclusive, multigenerational conference.

Creative Fold has been a proud partner of Gathering 4 Gardner for over 8 years, running their past 4 conferences. For more information or to explore the G4G archives, visit their website.