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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
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
Mathematics
Can deep learning techniques predict sudden state transitions in nonlinear dynamical systems?
Mathematics
String figures shed light on cultural connections and the roots of mathematical reasoning
Mathematics
How much faster is a knight than a king? A mathematical study reveals the exact ratio

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Quantum Physics
Wireless terahertz cryogenic interconnect minimizes heat-to-information transfer in quantum processors
General Physics
Scientists measure the spin-parity of charm baryons for the first time
Evolution
Deadly bacteria have developed the ability to produce antimicrobials and wipe out competitors, scientists discover
Optics & Photonics
Photon-shuttling interconnection device enables direct communication among multiple quantum processors
General Physics
A possible way to generate electricity using Earth's rotational energy
Evolution
They'd rather die: The lesson that male roundworms refuse to learn
Plants & Animals
Galapagos birds exhibit 'road rage' due to noise
Biochemistry
Japanese plant yields compounds that exhibit strong anti-HIV activity
Earth Sciences
Not just trees: Most of the carbon sequestered on land is stored in soil and water, study finds
Astronomy
Astronomers discover 2,674 dwarf galaxies using Euclid telescope
Cell & Microbiology
High-resolution images capture intricate structure of mitochondrial supercomplexes
Astronomy
Concept for interstellar object encounters developed, then simulated using a spacecraft swarm
Earth Sciences
Hydroacoustic imaging shows human traces on the seabed may be visible for decades
Astronomy
DESI releases largest 3D map of the universe to date
Plants & Animals
Cloaked in color: Research finds some female hummingbirds evolve male plumage to dodge aggression
Evolution
From dinosaurs to birds: The origins of feather formation
Other
AI-driven interviews with children may boost accuracy in witness accounts
Optics & Photonics
Quantum sensing achieves unprecedented precision in light displacement detection
Plants & Animals
Which tree species fix the most carbon?
Cell & Microbiology
Investigating the 'glue' that holds cells together and allows them to communicate

Using mathematics to better understand cause and effect

Cause and effect. We understand this concept from an early age. Tug on a pull toy's string, and the toy follows. Naturally, things get much more complicated as a system grows, as the number of variables increases, and as ...