We care about your data, and we'd like to use cookies to give you a smooth browsing experience. Please agree and read more about our privacy policy.
Quanta Homepage
  • Physics
  • Mathematics
  • Biology
  • Computer Science
  • Topics
  • Archive

What's up in

games

Latest Articles

illustration of abstract, boxy-looking robot surrounded by household items such as a knife and a guitar, all of which have labels attached.
artificial intelligence

Machines Learn Better if We Teach Them the Basics

By Max G. Levy
February 1, 2023
Comment
Read Later

A wave of research improves reinforcement learning algorithms by pre-training them as if they were human.

Shang-Hua Teng in a blazer on a street
Q&A

The Computer Scientist Who Finds Life Lessons in Games

By Ben Brubaker
January 25, 2023
Comment
Read Later

In Shang-Hua Teng’s work, theoretical and practical questions have long been intertwined. Now he’s turning his focus to the impractical.

illustration of four six-sided green dice covered in different numbers, with orange arrows connecting some of the dice
combinatorics

Mathematicians Roll Dice and Get Rock-Paper-Scissors

By Erica Klarreich
January 19, 2023
Comment
Read Later

Mathematicians have uncovered a surprising wealth of rock-paper-scissors-like patterns in randomly chosen dice.

Abstractions blog

How the Slowest Computer Programs Illuminate Math’s Fundamental Limits

By John Pavlus
December 10, 2020
Comment
Read Later

The goal of the “busy beaver” game is to find the longest-running computer program. Its pursuit has surprising connections to some of the most profound questions and concepts in mathematics.

Animation showing virtual players hiding and seeking in a digital arena
artificial intelligence

Playing Hide-and-Seek, Machines Invent New Tools

By Stephen Ornes
November 18, 2019
Comment
Read Later

After millions of games, machine learning algorithms found creative solutions and unexpected new strategies that could transfer to the real world.

profiles

A Life in Games

By Siobhan Roberts
August 28, 2015
Comment
Read Later

The mathematician John Horton Conway’s myriad accomplishments — including the Game of Life, sprouts and the surreal numbers — are the product of a mind at play.

Follow Quanta
Facebook
Facebook

Twitter
Twitter

Youtube
YouTube

Instagram
Instagram

RSS
RSS

Newsletter

Past Month

Most Read Articles

This Data is Current Loading...
This Data is Current Loading...
This Data is Current Loading...
The Quanta Newsletter

Get highlights of the most important news delivered to your email inbox

Recent newsletters
Quanta Homepage
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
Instagram

  • About Quanta
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Simons Foundation
All Rights Reserved © 2023