From studies of “geometric frustration,” scientists learn how paper folds under pressure.
Tag: Mathematics
New World Map Tries to Fix Distorted Views of Earth
You’re going to need some double-sided tape.
A Hopeful Forecast: More Accurate Long-Term Weather Predictions
Improving technology could make it possible to better anticipate weather conditions weeks in advance, especially in the tropics.
5 Things to Know About Shakuntala Devi
A film about the Indian mathematics genius is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Here are five facts to get you more familiar.
A Different Way to Chart the Spread of Coronavirus
Those skyrocketing curves tell an alarming story. But logarithmic graphs can help reveal when the pandemic begins to slow.
For Italians, Dodging Coronavirus Has Become a Game of Chance
Daily life in Italy is now a roll of the dice. Just ask residents of Pavia, once home to a founder of modern probability theory.
The Coronavirus, by the Numbers
A mathematician who studies the spread of disease explains some of the figures that keep popping up in coronavirus news.
‘It Just Isn’t Working’: PISA Test Scores Cast Doubt on U.S. Education Efforts
An international exam shows that American 15-year-olds are stagnant in reading and math even though the country has spent billions to close gaps with the rest of the world.
The Right Answer? 8,186,699,633,530,061 (An Abacus Makes It Look Almost Easy)
The abacus is still taught in Japanese schools, although not as intensively as it once was. But the centuries-old tool is still popular, and national tournaments attract elite competitors.
Overlooked No More: Alan Turing, Condemned Code Breaker and Computer Visionary
His ideas led to early versions of modern computing and helped win World War II. Yet he died as a criminal for his homosexuality.