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history of science

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geometry

An Ancient Geometry Problem Falls to New Mathematical Techniques

By Steve Nadis
February 8, 2022
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Three mathematicians show, for the first time, how to form a square with the same area as a circle by cutting them into interchangeable pieces that can be visualized.

Collage illustration of the JWST
astrophysics

The Webb Space Telescope Will Rewrite Cosmic History. If It Works.

By Natalie Wolchover
December 3, 2021
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The James Webb Space Telescope has the potential to rewrite the history of the cosmos and reshape humanity’s position within it. But first, a lot of things have to work just right.

Illustration of a figure working on a laptop surrounded by flasks and liquids evaporating into discrete shapes in the air.
Quantized Columns

The Uselessness of Useful Knowledge

By Robbert Dijkgraaf
October 20, 2021
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Today’s powerful but little-understood artificial intelligence breakthroughs echo past examples of unexpected scientific progress.

Quantized Columns

The Journey to Define Dimension

By David S. Richeson
September 13, 2021
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The concept of dimension seems simple enough, but mathematicians struggled for centuries to precisely define and understand it.

An illustration of a demon’s face.
explainers

How Maxwell’s Demon Continues to Startle Scientists

By Jonathan O'Callaghan
April 22, 2021
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The thorny thought experiment has been turned into a real experiment — one that physicists use to probe the physics of information.

Photo of radio telescopes at the Allen Telescope Array with a starry sky featuring the Milky Way in the background.
Quantized Columns

How Radio Astronomy Reveals the Universe

By Emily Levesque
April 13, 2021
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Radio waves, longer and less energetic than visible light, give astronomers access to some of the most obscure physics in the cosmos.

Illustration showing a human figure sitting on a large straw, gazing at different topological figures.
Quantized Columns

Topology 101: The Hole Truth

By David S. Richeson
January 26, 2021
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The relationships among the properties of flexible shapes have fascinated mathematicians for centuries.

Photo of Darden sitting on her couch and smiling
Q&A

The NASA Engineer Who’s a Mathematician at Heart

By Susan D'Agostino
January 19, 2021
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Christine Darden worked at NASA for 40 years, helping make supersonic planes quieter and forging a path for women to follow in her footsteps.

Black and white photo of Claude Shannon in front of a computer
Quantized Columns

How Claude Shannon Invented the Future

By David Tse
December 22, 2020
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Today’s information age is only possible thanks to the groundbreaking work of a lone genius.


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