Mathematicians Skeptical of Supposed Million-Dollar Proof
There are six outstanding math problems that, if solved, will net you a $1 million reward. On Monday, a highly regarded…
How Can This Spinning Arrow That Always Points Right Actually Exist?
Mathematician Kokichi Sugihara, of Meiji University in Japan, once again proves he’s the greatest illusion inventor of…
Simulation May Finally Explain Why Knuckle Cracking Makes That Awful Sound
For decades, scientists have debated the cause of the popping sound when we crack our knuckles. Using computer models,…
FedEx Employee Discovers Largest Known Prime Number Containing a Staggering 23 Million Digits
Using a computer powered by an off-the-shelf Intel Core i5-6600 processor, a FedEx employee from Tennessee has…
Dark Matter Is Not Dead
It can be easy to take hyped-up science papers as fact, especially when they involve the most esoteric imaginable…
This Captivating Sci-Fi Short Film Was Randomly Generated By a Computer
We wouldn’t blame you for thinking that Julius Horsthuis spent weeks designing and animating his sci-fi short, Fraktaal,…
Scientists Want to Update These Four Fundamental ConstantsÂ
Some numbers don’t change. These values are deeply connected to the very fabric of the Universe and our human…
Scientists Resolve Mysterious Violation to Einstein's Relativity
Even if you don’t know much physics, you probably know one of its core tenets: an object at rest stays at rest, and an…
Origin of Zero Symbol Is Centuries Older Than Previously Thought
The number zero is something we all take for granted, yet its conceptual origin has eluded archaeologists and…
Why Computers Are Having Such a Hard Time With This Deceptively Simple Chess Puzzle
A popular chess problem known as the Queen’s Puzzle has captivated mathematicians and computer scientists for years,…
Deciphered Ancient Tablet Reveals Babylonians' Mastery Over Mathematics
Australian scientists have managed to crack the code of a mysterious 3,700-year-old Babylonian clay tablet, revealing a…
The Never-Ending Descent Into This Infinite Fractal City Will Melt Your Brain
In Julius Horsthuis’ short film Recurrence, he takes the audience on a slow descent into a sprawling metropolis he’s…
Pushing Particles Forwards Might Make Them Go Backwards Because Quantum Physics Is Bonkers
You are very lucky that you ended up about the size that you are today, somewhere between one and ten feet tall and…
Basic Assumptions of Physics Might Require the Future to Influence the Past
One of the most well-accepted physical theories makes no logical sense. Quantum mechanics, the theory that governs the…
Physicists Think They Know How to Stop Your Rolly Suitcase From Tipping Over
Imagine: You’re at an airport with your fancy new bag rolling behind you. You have spent a little too much time…
Scientists Reignite Thirty-Year-Old Debate About Glass With New Calculation
Mathematics is far more fraught with debate and disagreement than you might imagine. Arguments about things some of the…
These Black Female Mathematicians Should Be Stars in the Blockbusters of Tomorrow
The hallways of math and science history are overflowing with the achievements of white men, from Sir Isaac Newton to…
10 Tips to Improve Your Mental Math Ability
Calculators are awesome, but they’re not always handy. More to the point, no one wants to be seen reaching for the…
Paintings Reveal Signs of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in Famous Artists
Researchers from the University of Liverpool have shown that it’s possible to detect neurodegenerative disorders in…
The Twisted Logic Behind Why Airlines Sell Too Many Tickets
Each year, tens of thousands of passengers get bumped from their scheduled flights because of overbooking. A new video…