math

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A Fertile Uterus Is Mathematically ... Perfect

Gynecologist finds the Golden Ratio in fertile uteri

(Newser) - The world's most mysterious number has popped up in the uterus. Known as the Golden Ratio, 1.618 is hailed by devotees as the formula for perfect natural beauty. Fanatics say the most aesthetically-pleasing rectangle and the most attractive smiles adhere to the numeral. Now Jasper Verguts, a Belgian...

Teacher Bias Hurts Girls in Math
 Teacher Bias Hurts 
 Girls in Math 
study says
Apr 9, 2012 4:26 PM CDT

Teacher Bias Hurts Girls in Math

University of Texas study: Teachers give girls unfair ratings

(Newser) - White girls can't add? According to a national survey, high school teachers rate the math skills of white girls as being lower than those of white boys, even when their test scores are comparable, LiveScience reports. Calling the bias "relatively small in magnitude," two researchers at the...

How This Woman Changed Physics

Emmy Noether may be obscure, but her work was revolutionary

(Newser) - Her work may be the "backbone" of all modern physics; her key theorem could be as important as the theory of relativity; yet hardly anyone knows who Emmy Noether is. Celebrating her 130th birthday this month, Noether has suffered what the New York Times calls "chronic neglect"—...

Girls, Boys Equals at Math
 Girls, Boys Equals at Math 
study says
Dec 13, 2011 12:17 PM CST

Girls, Boys Equals at Math

Perceived differences a matter of culture, not biology: study

(Newser) - Cross another stereotype off the list: Any differences between men's and women's math abilities are cultural, not innate, a study finds. Studies that have suggested such differences covered too few countries to give an accurate picture, researchers say. The new study, however, reviewed math scores across 86 countries,...

Mathematician Calculates Pi to 10T Digits

Breaks own previous record of 5T digits

(Newser) - A Japanese man used his homemade computer to calculate the value of pi to 10 trillion digits, breaking the 5-trillion-digit record he himself set last August . Systems engineer Shigeru Kondo, 56, started crunching the numbers on a computer using a 48-terabyte hard drive in October and finished Sunday, the Telegraph...

Cops Using Math to Predict Crime

Algorithm anticipates where and when a crime might occur

(Newser) - Didn't anyone pay attention to how things went for Tom Cruise in Minority Report? Cops in Santa Cruz, California, are using a computer math algorithm to anticipate when and where crimes are most likely to be committed, reports ABC News . Based on earthquake prediction technology, the system uses years...

Forget Pi, Here Comes Tau
 Forget Pi, 
 Here Comes Tau 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jul 2, 2011 1:30 PM CDT

Forget Pi, Here Comes Tau

Using a new constant would simplify things, say experts

(Newser) - You don't need to be a mathematician to appreciate pi: Children everywhere can tell you it's 3.14, and it's even celebrated on 3-14. But now experts are arguing that pi, which references the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, be replaced with a...

Second-Grade Girls Already Bailing on Math

Study finds stereotype reaches kids strikingly early

(Newser) - A disturbingly high proportion of little girls have absorbed the stereotype that math is for boys by the time they reach the second grade, a new study finds. Researchers found that little boys and girls alike tend to associate enjoyment of math with boys, MSNBC reports. "We still don’...

Relax: America's Never Been Tops at Math

US scores have actually been improving

(Newser) - There’s been a lot of talk lately about American math scores falling behind the rest of the world—a December assessment of standardized tests put China at No. 1, and the US at No. 31—but that’s actually a myth, Good reports. The fact is that the US...

Tiny Electric Shocks to Brain Improve Number Skills

Research could help those with dyslexia-like disorder

(Newser) - Don't try this at home (or school): A tiny, imperceptible electrical current applied to a certain part of the brain seems to improve numerical skills, the BBC reports. Researchers exploring the brain's parietal lobe found that running such a current across the lobe increased people's ability to complete a puzzle...

Why Physicists Clean Up at Poker

 Why Physicists 
 Clean Up at Poker 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Oct 30, 2010 7:30 PM CDT

Why Physicists Clean Up at Poker

To start, they understand numbers

(Newser) - What's the not-so-simple secret of playing poker? Quantum physics, finds NPR . It turns out that several top players are physicists—and that's no fluke. Physicists understand probability, statistics, and modeling. "I mean—when you think about it—they build models of the world," says Jennifer Ouellette, author of...

Amateur Math Wiz Calculates Pi to 5T Digits

Breaks record on homemade computer

(Newser) - A Japanese math enthusiast has shattered the record for calculating the value of Pi. Shigeru Kondo, 55, spent roughly $17,800 building the homemade computer that helped him accomplish the feat—it boasted 32 terabytes-worth of hard drive, and had to have fans blown on it at all times to...

States May Get National Standards for Math, English

Most governors are on board, but some complain about federal role

(Newser) - Math and English instruction in the United States moved a step closer to uniform—and more rigorous—standards today, as draft national guidelines were released. Supporters of the project led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers hope the lists of things kids should...

Girls Learn Math Anxiety From Female Teachers

Instructors transfer bias to students

(Newser) - Girls who buy into the stereotype that boys are better at math may be learning the trait from their own female teachers. Female first-and second-grade teachers worried about their math skills transfer that anxiety onto girls in their classrooms, a new study suggests. Those teachers were more likely to believe...

Scientist Smashes Pi Record
 Scientist Smashes Pi Record 
3.14159265...
Jan 7, 2010 2:38 PM CST

Scientist Smashes Pi Record

He calculates number to 2.7 trillion digits on his home PC

(Newser) - A French scientist shattered the record for calculated digits of Pi, working the number out to 2.7 trillion decimal places—and he did it with a home PC. Fabrice Bellard beat the previous record by 100 billion digits, using a new software algorithm he claims is 20 times faster...

US Innovation Stagnates: Survey

Americans think China is winning—and China thinks we're on top

(Newser) - Most Americans are anxious about a future they believe will be fueled by innovation—innovation they are doubtful will come easily in this country without major changes to the education system. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the recession has hobbled the country’s ability to innovate, and just 41% see...

The Express Lane's a Myth
 The Express Lane's a Myth 
Sep 25, 2009 2:12 PM CDT

The Express Lane's a Myth

(Newser) - Which is faster: the express lane with more customers, or the standard lane with fewer? It’s a conundrum we’ve all faced, and there are too many variables to give a definitive answer. But math teacher and blogger Dan Meyer broke down data from a 6-hour shift, added his...

Dogs as Smart as 2-Year-Olds
 Dogs as Smart as 2-Year-Olds 
Aug 9, 2009 6:32 AM CDT

Dogs as Smart as 2-Year-Olds

(Newser) - It won't surprise most dog owners, but now scientists know it: The average dog is as smart as a 2-year-old child, reports the Telegraph. Dogs understand up to 250 words and gestures, can count to 5, and do basic calculations, researchers have found. "Obviously, you can't have a conversation...

Spooky Universal Pattern Captivates Math Experts

Academics ponder similarities between cities and organisms

(Newser) - A fascinating mathematical similarity between infrastructure requirements of cities and the nutritional needs of different-sized animals has energized a field of study that is enthralling academics. Researchers have discovered that any measure of a city's infrastructure—from number of gas stations to miles of roadway—grows only in proportion to...

Gum Chewing = Math Smarts: Study

(Newser) - Researchers have discovered that gum-chewing students perform better at math, the Los Angeles Times reports. A study, sponsored by the Wrigley Science Institute, showed that young scholars who chomped on gum while attending math class, doing homework, and taking tests score 3% higher on tests after 14 weeks. Teachers found...

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