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Symmetry

Latest Articles

Neutrinos Hint of Matter-Antimatter Rift

July 28, 2016

A hint that neutrinos behave differently than antineutrinos suggests an answer to one the biggest questions in physics.

A Quasicrystal’s Shocking Origin

July 8, 2016

By blasting a stack of minerals with a four-meter-long gun, scientists have found a new clue about the backstory of a very strange rock.

The Universe Is Not a Snowflake

June 22, 2016

Nature’s laws are beautiful because they strike a compromise between boring symmetry and confusing asymmetry, physicists say.

Sphere Packing Solved in Higher Dimensions

March 30, 2016

The Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska has solved the centuries-old sphere-packing problem in dimensions eight and 24.

Time’s (Almost) Reversible Arrow

January 7, 2016

The irreversibility of time may be a clue as to what makes up the universe’s dark matter.

Hope Rekindled for Perplexing Proof

December 21, 2015

Three years ago, a solitary mathematician released an impenetrable proof of the famous abc conjecture. At a recent conference dedicated to the work, optimism mixed with bafflement.

Solution: ‘Creating Art With Mathematics’

October 30, 2015

The solution to this month’s puzzle explains the artful mathematics behind symmetrical patterns.

How to Create Art With Mathematics

October 8, 2015

Can you generate aesthetically pleasing, symmetrical curves with two numbers and a simple mathematical function?

A Grand Theory of Wrinkles

April 8, 2015

A collaboration between mechanical engineers and mathematicians has revealed universal rules for how wrinkles form.

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