How an Ottawa mathematician became a two-time Scrabble world champion

Matthew Miller recently had the “very unpleasant experience” of getting infected with influenza A. “Oddly enough, as someone who has spent their whole life studying flu, this was the first time that I know for sure it was a flu infection by virtue of a diagnostic test,” said Miller, who holds a Canada Research Chair in viral pandemics at McMaster University in Hamilton. Miller got infected two days post-abdominal surgery. “Coughing after having abdominal surgery is no good to begin with. On top of that, I was really non-functional.” He experienced fever, muscle aches. “I didn’t...