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Math

Buffon’s Needling Ants

The classic probability experiment known as Buffon’s needle produces a statistical estimate of the value of pi, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. The experiment consists of randomly dropping a needle over and over again onto a wooden floor made up of parallel planks. If the needle’s length is no greater than […]

Math

Buffon’s Needling Ants

The classic probability experiment known as Buffon’s needle produces a statistical estimate of the value of pi, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. The experiment consists of randomly dropping a needle over and over again onto a wooden floor made up of parallel planks. If the needle’s length is no greater than […]

Math

Tetris Is Hard

As many computer- and video-game players have long known, the insanely addictive, immensely popular game of Tetris is tough. You can’t really win; you merely try your best to improve upon previous results. The seven tetrominoes of Tetris. The game was invented in 1985 by mathematician Alexey Pajitnov, then a computer engineer at the Academy […]

Math

Tetris Is Hard

As many computer- and video-game players have long known, the insanely addictive, immensely popular game of Tetris is tough. You can’t really win; you merely try your best to improve upon previous results. The seven tetrominoes of Tetris. The game was invented in 1985 by mathematician Alexey Pajitnov, then a computer engineer at the Academy […]

Health & Medicine

Distressing Gut Symptoms May Trace to Sweets

U.S. diners are notorious for having a sweet tooth. It’s hard not to succumb to the pervasive siren calls of sugary confections. Television commercials bombard viewers with enticements for presweetened cereals, breakfast bars, sugar-laden soda pop, and fruit-flavored beverages–many containing, at best, only about 10 percent real juice. Grocery stores seduce consumers with aisle after […]

Animals

Upside Way Down: Video turns fish story on its head

The first video of whipnose anglerfish reveals them swimming upside down and trolling for prey on the 5,000-meter deep ocean floor.

Health & Medicine

Blood Booster: Growth signal shifts cord stem cells into high gear

A protein called Delta-1 stimulates stem cells in umbilical cord blood to proliferate in a lab dish, attach well to bone marrow when implanted into mice, and even proceed to the animal's thymus to become T cells.

Earth

Air-Pollution Pileup: Mediterranean endures emissions from afar

Although most Mediterranean countries aren't big polluters, the area is a crossroads for pollution-carrying air currents from Europe, Asia, and North America.

Astronomy

Cloudy Findings: A new population shows up in the Milky Way

A radio telescope has detected a previously unknown population of hundreds of hydrogen clouds in the gaseous halo that surrounds the disk of our galaxy.

Anthropology

Ancient Lure of the Lakes: Early Americans followed the water

Archaeological investigations in Chile indicate that beginning around 13,000 years ago, early American settlers lived at high altitudes during humid periods, when they could set up hunting camps on the shores of lakes.