- New World Map Tries to Fix Distorted Views of Earthby Joshua Sokol on February 24, 2021 at 4:12 pm
You’re going to need some double-sided tape.
- Leo Goodman, Who Transformed Sociology With Stats, Dies at 92by Clay Risen on February 18, 2021 at 9:31 pm
He developed tools for researchers to analyze categorical data, revolutionizing the study of poverty, income inequality and social mobility. He died of Covid-19.
- Isadore Singer, Who Bridged a Gulf From Math to Physics, Dies at 96by Julie Rehmeyer on February 12, 2021 at 11:17 pm
His unifying disparate theoretical realms helped revolutionize our understanding of the most basic structure of the universe.
- The Lasting Lessons of John Conway’s Game of Lifeby Siobhan Roberts on December 28, 2020 at 2:18 pm
Fifty years on, the mathematician’s best known (and, to him, least favorite) creation confirms that “uncertainty is the only certainty.”
- ‘The Pandemic Is a Prisoner’s Dilemma Game’by Siobhan Roberts on December 20, 2020 at 2:55 pm
Using game theory, researchers modeled two ways of prioritizing vaccinations, to see which saved more lives.
- Can a Computer Devise a Theory of Everything?by Dennis Overbye on November 23, 2020 at 6:26 pm
It might be possible, physicists say, but not anytime soon. And there’s no guarantee that we humans will understand the result.
- Newton’s ‘Principia’ Had a Surprisingly Wide Audience, Historians Findby William J. Broad on November 14, 2020 at 12:58 am
The discovery suggests that “Principia” had a stronger impact on Enlightenment science than previous research suggested.
- Book Review: ‘Counting,’ by Deborah Stoneby Eugenia Cheng on October 15, 2020 at 9:00 am
In “Counting,” Deborah Stone argues that we shouldn’t put too much stock in numbers as a way to understand our lives.
- Using Technology to Tailor Lessons to Each Studentby Janet Morrissey on September 29, 2020 at 9:00 am
Computer algorithms and machine learning are helping students succeed in math. Some experts see such efforts as a crucial next step in education.
- A Hopeful Forecast: More Accurate Long-Term Weather Predictionsby Sarah Witman on September 25, 2020 at 5:38 pm
Improving technology could make it possible to better anticipate weather conditions weeks in advance, especially in the tropics.