The mathematical theory that made the internet possible
The internet could not exist without information theoryMehmet BAYSAN / Alamy The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we hand over the keyboard to…
The internet could not exist without information theoryMehmet BAYSAN / Alamy The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we hand over the keyboard to…
DeepMind’s AlphaProof AI can tackle a range of mathematical problemsGoogle DeepMind An AI from Google DeepMind has achieved a silver medal score at this year’s International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), the…
Machine learning is key to developments in medical diagnosticsMario Heller/Panos Pictures Why Machines LearnAnil Ananthaswamy (Allen Lane (UK); Penguin Random House (US)) As someone who writes for a living, I routinely feel assaulted…
The speed with which we reach a decision can reveal the strength of our biasesDavid Williams/Bloomberg via Getty Images In a large group of independent decision-makers, those who reach a…
If the universe is a game, then who’s playing it?Bruce Rolff/Shutterstock The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we hand over the keyboard to…
Scientists have optimised pistachio storageMilovan Radmanovac/Alamy Shelling your favourite snack nuts just got a lot easier: physicists have worked out the exact size of bowl to best fit discarded pistachio…
Fractal geometry is common in natureShutterstock/Sabine Hortebusch You have almost certainly seen computer-generated fractals – beautiful, trippy images in which colourful, intricate structures repeat ad infinitum as you fall ever…
Light reflecting off the round rim creates a mathematically significant shape in this coffee cupSarah Hart The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we…