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Scientists have discovered a groundbreaking phenomenon where light materializes from nothingness, opening the door to revolutionary advances in physics and technology. In a groundbreaking new study, researchers from the University of Rostock and the University of Birmingham have made a surprising discovery that challenges the long-held understanding of time and space in physics. Their research, recently published in Nature Photonics, reveals the existence of “space-time-topological events” where light appears to emerge from and disappear into nothingness—a phenomenon that initially seems like magic, but is grounded in deep mathematical principles. Rethinking Time and Space in Physics Time has long been considered...

Hong Wang, an associate professor at NYU’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, presenting her work on the Kakeya conjecture on March 10, 2025. Credit: David Song/NYU. ================================================================== Professors from NYU and the University of British Columbia have resolved the Kakeya set conjecture in three dimensions. Mathematicians from New York University and the University of British Columbia have resolved a long-standing geometric problem known as the Kakeya conjecture in three dimensions. This conjecture explores the minimal space required for a needle, or line segment, to point in every direction within a given space. The idea originates from a 1917 question posed...

Mathematicians have proven that Henry Dudeney’s 1907 four-piece dissection of an equilateral triangle into a square is optimal. Using matching diagrams, researchers from JAIST and MIT showed that no three-piece solution exists, marking the first formal proof of optimality in dissection problems. Their work has applications in mathematics, engineering, and material sciences. ======================================================================================= Researchers have demonstrated, using a novel approach, that the original solution to Dudeney’s famous dissection problem is indeed the optimal one. In 1907, English author and mathematician Henry Ernest Dudeney posed a fascinating puzzle: Can an equilateral triangle be cut into the fewest possible pieces that can...

The ‘music of the spheres’ was born from the effort to use numbers to explain the universeAn image of a white half circle at the bottom-center on a starry background. There are 8 arches spreading away from the circle. The Pythagoreans believed that the motions of the heavenly bodies, with just the right ratios of their distances from a central fire, made pleasant music — a concept that evolved into the “music of the spheres.” If you’ve ever heard the phrase “the music of the spheres,” your first thought probably wasn’t about mathematics. But in its historical origin, the music...

A New Jersey law that removes a requirement for teachers to pass a reading, writing and mathematics test for certification will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. The law, Act 1669, was passed by Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy as part of the state’s 2025 budget in June in an effort to address a shortage of teachers in the state... Individuals seeking an instructional certificate will no longer need to pass a “basic skills” test ... Just months earlier, Murphy signed a similar bill into law that created an alternative pathway for teachers to sidestep the testing requirement....

I am getting a lot of people who say the answer is 9, but you can get 9 from 6/2(1+2) if you separate the 2 from the 2(1+2), which seems incorrect to me. I view the 2(1+2) as a complete phrase within the mathematical question, so I think it needs to be solved before you move left to right. 6/2(1+2) = 6/2(3) = 6/6 = 1 But there are a lot of people who want to write the question as 6/2 x (1+2), which is the only way you will get 9.

It’s an idea straight out of the schoolyard: that you might one day accidentally count so high that you break the laws of math. A new preprint (that has not yet been peer-reviewed) seems to have done just that, however – and it could have huge ramifications for how we ought to understand infinity. It’s fitting that such a baffling result would have come from set theory: it’s an area with a reputation for being abstract and often counter-intuitive; it has its own esoteric alphabet and language; and it’s famous for results that seem either too basic to have even...

When you were in 4th grade frantically completing a timed multiplication test, if you were any color other than white, you were being oppressed by the pressure to get it done quickly. Were you penalized for an incorrect answer? Doubly oppressed! Was your grade lowered because your handwriting was illegible on your answers? No doubt, you are now owed reparations! As ridiculous as this sounds, this is the current reality our black and brown public-school students are facing. Especially if their left-leaning math instructors have bought into the ridiculous ideology that “rigid” (and practical) math instruction is “white supremacist” and...

Calcea Johnson and Ne'Kiya Jackson have added four further novel proofs of the theorem that had also not been published before, and left clues for another five. Teen mathematicians Ne’Kiya Jackson (left) and Calcea Johnson (right) who have done what mathematics texts said was impossible, finding a non-circular trigonometric proof of Pythagoras Theorem. Image Credit: Calcea Johnson High school students Calcea Johnson and Ne'Kiya Jackson did something in 2023 that most mathematicians had thought impossible: They discovered a way to prove Pythagoras' theorem using trigonometry that did not depend on circular reasoning. Now, they have published their work in a...

String theory scientists studying the behavior of high energy particles say they have stumbled upon a mathematical “hack” that revealed a whole new way to represent the irrational number Pi. While the research is purely theoretical, the duo behind the Pi hack says this kind of theoretical work holds rewarding potential. The researchers also believe their work could lead to a number of potential breakthroughs in the future, similar to how theoretical breakthroughs made by physicists nearly a hundred years ago resulted in technological advancements decades later. AFTER 4,000 YEARS, PI IS STILL A MYSTERY Defined as the ratio of...

Wow! Two high school seniors solved a mathematical puzzle that has stumped mankind for 2,000 years. "60 Minutes" did a nice feature on the pair, and earned themselves a Community Note in the process. Two high school seniors solved a mathematical puzzle that was thought to be impossible for 2,000 years. @BillWhitakerCBS reports, Sunday. https://t.co/mEN4CWeXMW pic.twitter.com/iPhsZiERsc — 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) May 2, 2024 Readers added context they thought people might want to know This puzzle was solved 15 years ago… I studied physics and this isn't a discovery, it was published in a paper over 15 years ago, they've just...

Supporting kids with math homework is a common afterschool activity. But beyond the basics, new curricula and teaching strategies are making it harder for parents to help and it's taking a serious toll on children's confidence and learning. In a study from the University of South Australia, researchers have found that mathematics homework can sometimes cause more harm than good. Exploring how homework policies and practices affect families, researchers found that mathematics homework could inadvertently affect a child when it often: was too difficult for a child to complete independently, and/or with the support of a parent required significant support...

I don’t have a mathematics background, but have done well in math generally, understand some of the concepts. I’ve been interested in this problem since seeing a YouTube video from the science channel Veritasium on the subject. After going over it for a time, I noticed some patterns in the numbers that are most divisible by 2. Here’s a summary of what I found, and I wonder how it fits into the picture. 1. Starting from 0: 3(0)+1=1. 2. Next, starting from 1: 3(1)+1=4. That’s the initial “4>2>1.” 3. Then, substitute 2: 3(2)+1=7. And 3: 3(3)+1=10. And 4: 3(4)+1=13. 4....

"This is the third coin of this type found in excavations in Jerusalem, and one of the few ever found in archeological excavations," said the researchers.During the Great Revolt against Rome, the Jews in Jerusalem minted bronze and silver coins. Most of the silver coins featured a goblet on one side, with ancient Hebrew script above it noting the year of the Revolt. Depending on its denomination, the coins also included an inscription around the border noting either, "Israel Shekel," "Half-Shekel," or "Quarter-Shekel." The other side of these coins showcased a branch with three pomegranates, surrounded by an inscription in...

Actor Terrence Howard reportedly said it is "immoral for the United States government to charge taxes to the descendants of slaves" after being ordered to pay nearly $1 million in back taxes. According to a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer on Thursday, a federal judge in Philadelphia ordered the Academy Award-nominated actor to pay $903,115 in back taxes, penalties and interest. "For more than a year, the 54-year-old star of the TV hit ‘Empire,’ whose last listed address was in Plymouth Meeting, rebuffed IRS efforts to collect $578,000 in income taxes it says he failed to pay between 2010 and...

The United States must focus on helping American children to develop an understanding, appreciation, and love for math.. The most recent results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) highlight a concerning trend for U.S. students in the field of math. In comparison to their counterparts in other industrialized nations, American students are falling behind. The rather sobering results revealed a 13-point decline for U.S. students when compared to the 2018 exam. In stark contrast, 28 countries and economies managed to either maintain or improve their 2018 math scores, with countries such as Switzerland and Japan leading the way—and...

Democrats are constantly telling us how great public schools are and how much we must value school teachers. So what happens when a Democrat-controlled city has almost two dozen schools with zero students performing at grade level?FOX 45 News in Baltimore reports:23 Baltimore schools have zero students proficient in math, per state test resultsBaltimore City is facing a devastating reality as the latest round of state test scores are released.Project Baltimore analyzed the results and found a shocking number of Baltimore City schools where not a single student is doing math at grade level. “We’re not living up to our...

"Math is hard, let's go shopping!" When Mattel released a talking Barbie who offered that bit of teenage wisdom, public reaction was so furious they pulled her off the shelves. Mattel is still trying to recover from the PR disaster. I assume they fired the guy who came up with that little gem. Not that it mattered much. I have every confidence he's enjoying a new career, designing math programs for American public schools. What else can I think about programs that encourage children to "shop" for the correct way to multiply? That ask kids what "color" they think math...

Racial and ethnic disparities in advanced math and science skills occur far earlier in the U.S. than previously known. Our new study finds that 13% of white students and 16% of Asian students display advanced math skills by kindergarten. The contrasting percentage for both Black and Hispanic students is 4%. These disparities then continue to occur throughout elementary school. By fifth grade, 13% of white students and 22% of Asian students display advanced math skills. About 2% of Black students and 3% of Hispanic students do so. Similar disparities occur in advanced science skills. What explains these disparities? Factors that...

Lebron James’ I Promise School in Akron, Ohio is facing major backlash from Akron Public School Board members after it was reported that the school hasn’t had one student from its 8th grade class pass a state math test in over three years. Akron Public School board member Valerie McKitrick was shocked by the new revelation and stated “Not one? In three years?” after she was presented with data that showed not one single student in the school’s fall 8th-grade class couldnpass a Ohio stated math proficiency test. Keith Liechty-Clifford who serves as Akron’s district director of school improvement went...