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  1. Math

    Poe’s Secret

    Writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) is famous for his short stories of the mysterious and the macabre. His popular tale “The Gold-Bug,” published in 1843, is often cited as one of the best works of fiction that turn upon a secret message. Poe had a longstanding interest in cryptology. When he became editor of Graham’s […]

    By Ivars Peterson
  2. Math

    Poe’s Secret

    Writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) is famous for his short stories of the mysterious and the macabre. His popular tale “The Gold-Bug,” published in 1843, is often cited as one of the best works of fiction that turn upon a secret message. Poe had a longstanding interest in cryptology. When he became editor of Graham’s […]

    By Ivars Peterson
  3. Animals

    Careful Coots: Do birds count their eggs before they hatch?

    A coot may tally the eggs in her nest, a rare example of an animal counting in the wild, suggests a new study.