Math
Scientists Say: Imaginary Number
These numbers may not be “real,” but they sure aren’t make-believe.
Math
More Stories in Math
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MathMath explains why dense crowds form surprisingly orderly lines
New research into the behavior of moving groups of people adds to decades of study on the wisdom of crowds.
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MathScientists Say: Parabola
A parabola is a U-shaped curve, where every point along that curve is the same distance from another point and a line.
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MathScientists Say: Ellipse
Ellipse describes the shapes of planetary orbits around their stars and explains the wacky acoustic phenomenon of “whispering chambers.”
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MathAn ‘einstein’ shape eluded mathematicians for 50 years. Now they found one
The shapes can form an infinite tiled pattern that never repeats. The first is a 13-sided shape nicknamed “the hat.”
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MathScientists Say: Möbius strip
Möbius strips may be easy to make, but they have some pretty mind-bending properties.
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EarthScientists Say: Altitude
Altitude is used to describe heights in geography, astronomy and math.
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AnimalsRandom hops always bring jumping beans to shade — eventually
It’s not fast, but jumping beans use randomness to maximize their chances of getting out of the sun’s heat.
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MathScientists Say: Calculus
Calculus is math that deals with curves, from their changing slopes to the areas they enclose.
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MathMeet the newest additions to the metric system
The metric system just got its first update in 30 years. New prefixes will help scientists interpret the biggest — and smallest — numbers.