Physicists uncover new dynamical framework for turbulence

Turbulence plays a key role in our daily lives, making for bumpy plane rides, affecting weather and climate, limiting the fuel efficiency of the cars we drive, and impacting clean energy technologies. Yet, scientists and ...

DNA fix school timetables

Scientists in Russia plan to use DNA - our genetic material - to help them solve one of the perennial "back to school" problems faced by school administrators the world over: how to match up students, with classes and available ...

Getting a grip on school timetables

A new approach to solving the problem of school timetabling, known as a GRASP, has been developing by researchers in Brazil. They report details in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Operational Research.

How to reduce rail chaos using maths

The British train timetables changed on May 20. Since then, there has been chaos across the railway network. The railway operators Northern and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) have been particularly affected by the changes ...

China plans nationwide ethanol use by 2020

China plans to expand use of ethanol in gasoline nationwide by 2020 to curb smog and fossil fuel demand, the government said Wednesday, joining United States, Brazil and other nations that use blended fuel.

Explainer: What are the maths behind an exam timetable?

Sweaty-palmed and reciting facts over and over in their heads, the hordes of university and school students sitting down to exams this month will have precious little time to think about how their exam timetable was put together.