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Megastudy finds a simple way to boost math progress

American students have been falling behind in math for decades—with test scores that consistently rank in the bottom 25% globally compared to students in other developed countries—and the COVID-19 pandemic made the situation ...

Dudeney's 120-year-old dissection puzzle solution proves optimal

In 1907, the English author and mathematician Henry Ernest Dudeney posed a puzzle: Can any equilateral triangle be cut into as few pieces as possible that will fit together to form a perfect square? Four weeks later, he presented ...

Nessie loves a sunny summer's day—how anecdotes become data

New research from the University of St Andrews has used a database of Loch Ness Monster reports to translate anecdotes into data, shedding light on statistical biases and the importance of defining the right information for ...

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Mathematics
AI program plays the long game to solve decades-old math problems
Mathematics
Can math save content creators? A new model proposes fairer revenue distribution methods for streaming services
Mathematics
Scientists analyze branch patterns in trees and art, from da Vinci to Mondrian
Mathematics
Risk it or kick it? Research analyzes NFL coaches' risk tolerance on fourth down
Mathematics
The butterfly effect: This obscure mathematical concept has become an everyday idea, but do we have it all wrong?
Mathematics
Spanish 'running of the bulls' festival reveals crowd movements can be predictable, above a certain density
Mathematics
Kids use different math skills at work vs. school, India study shows
Mathematics
Barbecue grill approach helps researchers understand puzzling Rayleigh–Bloch waves
Mathematics
Parents' math anxiety linked to lower numeracy skills in children
Mathematics
Scientists map the mathematics behind how we create and innovate
Mathematics
Simple mathematical model predicts development of cultural structures observed in human societies
Mathematics
Art analysis: 2D multifractal tools examine Jackson Pollock's expressionism
Mathematics
Mathematical technique 'opens the black box' of AI decision-making
Mathematics
English children lag behind in geometry, but parents can help them learn through play
Mathematics
Mathematicians develop new method to forecast natural phenomena and detect early cancer development
Mathematics
Historian explains how economics research stumbled under Soviet regime, while mathematics thrived
Mathematics
How does a hula hoop master gravity? Mathematicians prove that body shape matters
Mathematics
Researcher calculates Santa's speed on Christmas Eve—and this is what it would do to Rudolph's nose
Mathematics
Algebraic geometry offers fresh solution to data center energy inefficiency
Mathematics
How prepared are we for another pandemic? Study provides mathematical insights into airborne viral transmission

Other news

Evolution
Horses, donkeys and zebras have adaptations that break normal genomic rules
Cell & Microbiology
A delicate balancing act determines how many genome gateways form in cells
Earth Sciences
Mind the seismic gap: Understanding earthquake types in Guerrero, Mexico
Ecology
City trees respond to higher temperatures differently than those in forests, potentially masking climate impacts
Earth Sciences
Simulation shows trawling and dredging impact the processes behind natural ocean alkalinity production
Astronomy
Melnick 39 is a colliding-wind binary system, observations find
Earth Sciences
Thinner Arctic sea ice may affect the AMOC, say scientists
Nanomaterials
Nanomechanical gas sensor arrays: A step toward smarter, safer food and environments
Earth Sciences
Seeping groundwater can be a hidden source of greenhouse gases
Ecology
Machine learning model uses host characteristics and virus genetics to predict potential reservoirs
Evolution
Plesiosaur discovery sheds light on early Jurassic evolution and plausible endemism
Planetary Sciences
Could convection in the crust explain Venus's many volcanoes?
Evolution
'She loves me, she loves me not': Physical forces encouraged evolution of multicellular life, scientists propose
Superconductivity
The hidden superconducting state in NbSe₂: Shedding layers and gaining insights
Condensed Matter
Study proposes new mechanism underpinning intrinsic strange metal behavior
Social Sciences
How humans across cultures and historical periods conceptualize relationships
Molecular & Computational biology
Plant stomata pressure dynamics illuminated by laser-based method offer water efficiency insights
Analytical Chemistry
Palladium-liquid gallium catalyst transforms chemical manufacturing, boosting speed, safety and sustainability
Plants & Animals
Study reveals tool use in tropical fish species
Quantum Physics
Scientists develop method to speed up quantum measurements using space-time trade-off

What's Pi Day all about? Math, science, pies and more

Math enthusiasts around the world, from college kids to rocket scientists, celebrate Pi Day on Thursday, which is March 14 or 3/14—the first three digits of an infinite number with many practical uses.

NASA Pi Day challenge serves up a mathematical marvel

March 14 marks the annual celebration of the mathematical constant pi, aka the Greek letter π. Its infinite number of digits is usually rounded to 3.14, hence the date of Pi Day. For some people, the occasion marks an annual ...

Drawings of mathematical problems predict their resolution

A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with CY Cergy Paris University (CYU) and University of Burgundy (uB), have analyzed drawings made by children and adults when solving simple problems. The scientists ...