Mathematicians apply a technique from vision research to find fake art.

Scientists have detected an elusive, complex symmetry in the frequencies of resonating particles

The stats on fielding Astute baseball fans know who has the golden glove, but assigning a number to a player’s defensive merits has been tricky. Benjamin Baumer, a statistician for the New York Mets, suggests that new methods could offer a fuller picture (SN: 8/29/09, p. 16). The long-used formula for measuring a player’s fielding ability doesn’t give credit for superior range, the ability to successfully run down a ball out of reach for most players. Baumer analyzed two methods for getting around this problem. One worked better if it accounted for ball hogging than if it didn’...

A magician-turned-mathematician figures out how many times to shuffle a deck of cards before playing Old Maid