The New Math of Some Temporary Things
New Math is an attempt to quantify the world using words and basic math.
New Math is an attempt to quantify the world using words and basic math.
Earth’s ecosystems keep soaking up more carbon as greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, new measurements find. The research contradicts several recent studies suggesting that “carbon sinks” have reached or passed their capacity. By looking at global measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the new work, presented at an annual conference on global monitoring, calculates instead…
The book is a genre bender—mixing inspirational science writing, theological reflection, biblical interpretation, and self-improvement manual into a sometimes distracting blend.
Metanexus is happy to plug the late David Foster Wallace’s 2005 Commencement Speech at Kenyon College in this season of graduations. Here are some wise words and compelling prose from the literary and existential genius. The abridged version is 9:22 minutes long and beautifully illustrated with a montage of images following the text. The unabridged…
In their new book, Time Travel and Warp Drives, Tufts physics professor Allen Everett and University of Central Connecticut math professor Thomas Roman explain the science behind the fiction of time travel, and tackle the question: Is it even possible? The authors delve into the lore of sci-fi shows and books to explain how wormholes,…
I don’t mean our private lives, our personal choices and hopes, the plans we make along the years. I imagine that each and every one of us believes our lives do have a purpose, or many. What I mean is life as a natural phenomenon, this strange assembly of matter endowed with autonomy, capable of…
Nasa’s Curiosity rover has found soil on Mars to be similar to Hawaii’s after sifting and scanning its first sample on the Red Planet. The robot’s CheMin instrument shook out fine particles of soil and fired X-rays at them to determine their composition. These sandy samples should give clues about Mars’ recent geological history. As…