Math
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Science & Society
Here’s what game theory says about how to win in semifinals
Game theory informs competitors facing off in a semifinal whether to go all out or save energy for the final.
- Math
Computer program rivals top poker players in complex card game
A computer program held its own against the world’s best heads-up no-limit Texas Hold’em poker players.
- Math
Research can’t be right with ‘Statistics Done Wrong’
Fraud in science gets a lot of attention and condemnation — as it should. But fraud isn't that interesting compared to all the errors that scientists commit unintentionally.
- Science & Society
John Nash, Louis Nirenberg share math’s Abel Prize
John Nash and Louis Nirenberg will receive the 2015 ‘Nobel of mathematics’ for their work on partial differential equations.
- Math
P value ban: small step for a journal, giant leap for science
Peer-reviewed journals have largely insisted on P values as a standard of worthiness. But now the editors of one journal have banned the statistical tool.
- Life
Life’s origin might illustrate the power of game theory
Game theory math can describe molecular competition and cooperation, perhaps providing clues to the origin of life.
- Computing
Artificial intelligence conquers Space Invaders, Pong, Q*bert
With a single algorithm, a computer can learn dozens of classic video games, researchers from Google DeepMind in London report.
- Earth
Mineral hunting, mob math and more reader feedback
Readers ask about Earth's most abundant mineral and discuss the notoriously unpredictable behavior of pedestrians.
- Quantum Physics
Top 10 scientific mysteries for the 21st century
Solving the Top 10 scientific mysteries facing the 21st century will not be all fun but could be mostly games.
- Computing
New computer algorithm plays poker almost perfectly
An algorithm optimized to play heads-up limit Texas Hold’em poker will never lose in the long run against any opponent.
- Health & Medicine
Online favorites of 2014
Science News' website traffic reveals the most-read news stories and blog posts of 2014.
- Math
Math to match pedestrian behavior is all about timing
The best-ever simulation of pedestrians moving through a crowd relies on a new formula that encapsulates people’s ability to anticipate collisions.
