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The Four-Color Theorem Gets a Rare New Proof

September 10, 2026

By revisiting the famous problem — which was controversially solved in the 1970s with the help of computers — mathematicians have gained important new insights into the nature of graphs.

Live from ICM 2026: What Is Math For in the Age of AI?

September 3, 2026

In this special live recording from the International Congress of Mathematicians in Philadelphia, July 2026, the central question discussed was what do mathematicians really value about doing mathematics in the first place?

Does Computer Science Need Computers?

August 28, 2026

The theoretical side of the field doesn’t require computing machines. But many questions would never have been posed without them.

Are We Thinking Correctly About AI Intelligence?

August 20, 2026

Computer scientist Melanie Mitchell discusses why artificial intelligence doesn’t “think” or “reason” like humans, and how we can create better methods for measuring machine cognition.

Close-up view of a chandelier-like dilution refrigerator used in quantum computing, with many gold-colored wires hanging between levels of gold plates.

Building a Quantum Computer, One Fragile Qubit at a Time

No one yet knows which technology will power the quantum computers of the future, but the race to create them has already produced some of science’s most intricate machinery.

Is AI Reasoning Right for the Wrong Reasons?

July 31, 2026

The idea that artificial intelligence can “reason” is more intuitive than ever. But intuitions can be wrong, and the science is far from settled.

A Master of the Traveling Salesperson Problem Finds His Own Path

July 23, 2026

Shayan Oveis Gharan has won the Abacus Medal for using tools from across mathematics to boost the power of algorithms.

Researchers Reveal the Power of ‘Quantum Proofs’

July 6, 2026

When checking that solutions to certain problems are correct, it turns out, you can’t get around the inherent complexity of the quantum world.

Key Chemistry Question Answered, No Quantum Computer Required

May 29, 2026

Do we need quantum computers to fully understand complex chemical reactions? A new result, decades in the making, shows the surprising power of ordinary “classical” machines.