Archive
Latest Articles
Sum-of-Three-Cubes Problem Solved for ‘Stubborn’ Number 33
A number theorist with programming prowess has found a solution to 33 = x³ + y³ + z³, a much-studied equation that went unsolved for 64 years.
How the Brain Links Gestures, Perception and Meaning
Neuroscience has found that gestures are not merely important as tools of expression but as guides of cognition and perception.
Solution: ‘How to Find Simple Treasures in Complex Numbers’
Puzzle solvers used “imaginary” numbers to solve a real world problem: finding long-lost treasure.
She Finds Clues to Future Sustainability in Old Food Webs
By reconstructing prehistoric food webs and analyzing the diverse interactions of humans with other species, the ecologist Jennifer Dunne is developing a new understanding of sustainability through network science.
Quantum Machine Appears to Defy Universe’s Push for Disorder
One of the first quantum simulators has produced a puzzling phenomenon: a row of atoms that repeatedly pops back into place.
Karen Uhlenbeck, Uniter of Geometry and Analysis, Wins Abel Prize
A founder of modern geometric analysis who produced “some of the most dramatic advances in mathematics in the last 40 years,” Uhlenbeck is the first woman to be awarded this top honor.
Biologists Discover Unknown Powers in Mighty Mitochondria
Mitochondria are most famous as sources of metabolic energy. But by splitting and combining, they can also release chemical signals to regulate cell activities, including the generation of neurons.
Where Proof, Evidence and Imagination Intersect
In mathematics, where proofs are everything, evidence is important too. But evidence is only as good as the model, and modeling can be dangerous business. So how much evidence is enough?
The Math That Tells Cells What They Are
During development, cells seem to decode their fate through optimal information processing, which could hint at a more general principle of life.