Alexander Shen - Ph.D. physics and mathematics Sciences, researcher at the Institute for Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow) and LIRMM CNRS (France, Montpellier). He taught at the Independent Moscow University and Moscow School No. 57, and is the author of popular books on mathematics and programming. For several years he ran the mathematical entertainment section of the Mathematical Intelligencer magazine. Interviewed by Natalia Demina.