mathematics
The Original Mobile App Was Made of Paper
To understand modern mobile apps, we need to turn to their centuries-old grandparent: the volvelle.
This Math Shows How Long It'd Take Vampires to Run Out of Human Blood to Drink
A surprisingly large number of academic studies—as in, more than one—have applied mathematical modeling to the concept of human-vampire co-existence.
The Hilbert Hotel: An Infinite Thought Experiment
A classic illustration of the mathematical problem of infinity.
Ada Lovelace Was the First Person to Understand the Real Potential of Computers
The Victorian mathematician's legacy goes beyond the first published computer program.
The Maths Problem Making Scottish Kids Cry
Students are reportedly leaving exam halls in tears over a puzzle involving a crocodile and a zebra.
Inside the Inscrutable Physics of a Heart Murmur
The hushed rumble of disrupted blood flow hides a mathematical monster.
Firing Squad Synchronization, Computer Science's Most Macabre-Sounding Problem
The question, first formulated in the 1950s, was essential to automata theory, which became the foundation of computer science.
This Scientist Has a Hidden Warehouse of 4-Dimensional Bottles
A man with that many impossibly shaped objects has to be up to something.
How Misperceptions About Math Contribute to the Science Gender Gap
A new study looks at how “perceived mathematical ability” affects entry into maths-intensive science fields.
Meet the Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Making Fun of Tom Brady with Art
Last June, a 39-year-old Nelson Saiers stepped down from his position as a CIO managing $688 million in assets to pursue a full-time career as an artist.
Alan Turing Tribute Suspends 47 Glass Bubbles from a Ceiling
Michael Petry remembers the momentous mathematician with installation 'AT the Core of the Algorithm' at Houston's Hiram Butler Gallery.
Alan Turing’s Unseen Notebook Is Going to Auction
The rare manuscript contains notes on mathematical notation that hint towards the computer scientist’s interest in universal languages.