The talk will report on a variety of adventures exploring the possibilities for presenting topics in ``advanced'' theoretical computer science to audiences of elementary school children and their parents. These adventures have inevitably raised interesting questions (not necessarily answered) about the nature of mathematics education, the heritage of mathematics culture, and the role of science popularization in education and in modern culture. The talk will attempt to stimulate consideration of some of these issues.
Computer games could conceivably be a powerful medium for education and popularization of mathematical science, yet for the most part, the computer games industry has displayed a remarkable conservatism in mathematics education. The talk will describe some ongoing adventures in exploring this potential avenue for presenting mathematical science, or at least for making a fortune from theoretical computer science by mining NP for the addictive puzzles and game structures prized by the computer games industry.