Why Can’t You Switch Seats in an Empty Airplane?
Yes, the weight distribution on an aircraft really does affect how well it flies. Our physics guy explains.
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The Simple Math Behind Public Key Cryptography
The security system that underlies the internet makes use of a curious fact: You can broadcast part of your encryption to make your information much more secure.
Everyone Is Capable of Mathematical Thinking—Yes, Even You
Mathematician David Bessis claims that mathematical thinking isn’t what you think it is, and that everyone can benefit from doing more of it.
The Physics of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons
How do these giant balloons work? What makes them both easier and more complicated than a normal-size balloon?
Mathematicians Just Debunked the ‘Bunkbed Conjecture’
This famous probability theory was intuitive, even obvious. It was also wrong.
Why Is It So Tricky to Show the Sun, Earth, and Moon in a Diagram?
In a nutshell, you can get the distances or the sizes right, but not both. Space is hard!
