Mathematicians Outwit a Hidden Number ‘Conspiracy’
Decades ago, a mathematician posed a warmup problem for difficult questions about prime numbers. It turned out to be just as difficult to solve—until now.
The Physics of the N95 Face Mask
You’ve seen them a million times. You might be wearing one right now. But do you know how they work to block a potentially virus-carrying respiratory blob?
Physicists Created Bubbles That Can Last for Over a Year
If you've ever blown bubbles, you know how quickly they burst. Now French researchers have concocted a type that stays intact for hundreds of days.
How Big Data Carried Graph Theory Into New Dimensions
Researchers are turning to the mathematics of higher-order interactions to better model the complex connections within their data.
How to Ace Physics Class (Even if You Don’t Ace Physics)
It’s back-to-school season, so here are some tips on getting the most out of college science courses.
Animals Can Count. How Far Does Their Number Sense Go?
Crows recently demonstrated an understanding of the concept of zero. It’s only the latest evidence of animals’ talents for numerical abstraction.
People Who Text While Walking Actually Do Ruin Everything
Clever experiments demonstrate how having your face in your phone disrupts the flow of pedestrian traffic and makes life difficult for everyone.
An Ultracold Plasma Models the Universe’s Most Extreme Places
The super cool, dense particle swarm gives physicists a way to study the insides of stars and gas giants—without ever leaving the lab.
How Pi Keeps Train Wheels on Track
Happy 3/14! Here's how this mathematical constant keeps train cars from flying off their tracks during turns.
A New Kind of Space Explosion Reveals the Birth of a Black Hole
A supernova-like explosion dubbed the Camel appears to be the result of a newborn black hole eating a star from the inside out.