Physics
Explainer: What is chaos theory?
Chaos can help scientists explore subjects from climate change to human brains. Learn about the theory behind this field of science.
By Sarah Wells
Math
More Stories in Math
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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.
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MathScientists Say: Mean, median and mode
Mean, median and mode are all different ways to describe the middle value in a dataset.
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MathLet’s learn about dealing with math anxiety
Writing about math anxiety and maintaining a “growth mindset” can help soothe stress about the subject.