Math Trek Math

When intuition and math probably look wrong

A twist on the Two Children Problem shows how information can steer what looks probable

By Julie Rehmeyer

This article is only available to Science News subscribers.

Subscribers, enter your e-mail address to access our archives.

Not a subscriber?

Science News is a nonprofit.

Support us by subscribing now.

More Stories from Science News on Math

  1. person knitting blue and yellow pattern
    Math

    How one physicist is unraveling the mathematics of knitting

    By Lakshmi Chandrasekaran
  2. Maryam Mirzakhani and Shakuntala Devi
    Math

    A documentary and a Bollywood film highlight two disparate paths in mathematics

    By Emily Conover
  3. gerrymandering protesters
    Computing

    How next-gen computer generated maps detect partisan gerrymandering

    By Sujata Gupta
  4. Two yellow labs
    Animals

    Calculating a dog’s age in human years is harder than you think

    By Bethany Brookshire
  5. steak
    Math

    To cook a perfect steak, use math

    By Emily Conover
  6. rulers
    Science & Society

    The U.S. has resisted the metric system for more than 50 years

    By Cassie Martin
  7. Sign warning people not to use a playground in Washington
    Math

    How large a gathering is too large during the coronavirus pandemic?

    By Dana Mackenzie
  8. Katherine Johnson
    Space

    NASA icon Katherine Johnson has died at the age of 101

    By Emily Conover

From the Nature Index

Paid Content