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Abstractions blog

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Abstractions blog

Exoplanet Puzzle Cracked by Jazz Musicians

By Joshua Sokol
May 10, 2017
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A system of seven Earth-like exoplanets appeared to be unstable. Now their orbits have been rewritten in the music of the spheres.

Abstractions blog

A Simple Visual Proof of a Powerful Idea

By Kevin Hartnett
April 13, 2017
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Ramsey’s theorem predicts a surprising (and useful) consistency in the organization of graphs. Here’s a simple visual proof of how it works.

Abstractions blog

How to Use a Sphere to Talk to Mars

By Kevin Hartnett
April 12, 2017
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To avoid garbled messages, mathematicians might translate them into geometric form.

Abstractions blog

Physicists Attack Math’s $1,000,000 Question

By Natalie Wolchover
April 4, 2017
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Physicists are attempting to map the distribution of the prime numbers to the energy levels of a particular quantum system.

Illustration: Yves Meyer and his wavelet
Abstractions blog

Yves Meyer, Wavelet Expert, Wins Abel Prize

By Natalie Wolchover
March 21, 2017
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The French mathematician was cited “for his pivotal role in the development of the mathematical theory of wavelets.”

Abstractions blog

19 Women Leading Math and Physics

By Natalie Wolchover
March 8, 2017
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Top women in mathematics and physics discuss how they got to where they are — and why there aren’t more of them.

Abstractions blog

The Almost-Proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem

By Kevin Hartnett
March 3, 2017
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19th-century mathematicians thought the “roots of unity” were the key to solving Fermat’s Last Theorem. Then they discovered a fatal flaw.

Clock
Abstractions blog

How Circadian Clocks Differ From Sleep

By Veronique Greenwood
February 17, 2017
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The circadian clock is in nearly every cell, and researchers have untangled many of its secrets. But sleep has been harder to pin down.

Mobius strip illustration
Abstractions blog

The Hidden Twist to Making a Möbius Strip

By Kevin Hartnett
February 9, 2017
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The simple Möbius strip illustrates a deep mathematical challenge that has long tormented the field of symplectic geometry.


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