Uncategorized

  1. Math

    Cracking Fermat Numbers

    Fermat numbers have what mathematicians sometimes describe as a “beautiful mathematical form,” involving powers of 2. They were of interest 400 years ago and are now the subject of a wide-ranging worldwide computer search. A Fermat number has the form 22n + 1, where n is a whole number equal to or greater than 0. […]

    By Ivars Peterson
  2. Earth

    Ancient Taint: Likely source of old dioxins identified

    Lab experiments show that the burning of peat from coastal areas of Scotland could be responsible for the enigmatic concentrations of dioxins sometimes found in pre-20th-century soils.

    By Sid Perkins
  3. Humans

    Jonathan Eberhart (1942–2003)

    After chronicling space science and exploration for 3 decades on behalf of Science News, Jonathan Eberhart died last week from complications of multiple sclerosis.