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A detailed view of the blackboard with theoretical physics equations in chalk by Alberto Ramos.

Education

For All the Benefits of Studying Mathematics, Some Critics See a Dark Side

Could the objective assurance in correct answers mandated in mathematics education teach students to be similarly calculating and assured when it comes to daily moral conundrums?

James McWilliams

A woman operating a Hollerith Senior Rolling Total Tabulator in 1955.

Education

Compliment a Woman’s Looks, Lower Her Math Score

New Israeli research finds a well-intentioned remark can trigger a negative reaction.

Tom Jacobs

News in Brief

The Mathematical Significance of Pi

For Pi Day, a mathematician breaks down a figure that goes beyond the universal.

Daniel Ullman

News in Brief

U.S. Schools May Not Have Quite the ‘Math Problem’ We Think They Do

The latest international test results show American students falling short in math — but that’s not strictly a problem for schools.

Elena Gooray

Environment

What Makes You So Smart, MIT Professor?

Noah Davis talks to Scott Aaronson—named by SuperScholar as one of the 30 smartest people alive—about the unpopularity of nerds, the value of skipping grades, and why Shakespeare isn't the worst.

Noah Davis

Environment

What Makes You So Smart, Stephen Wolfram?

Noah Davis talks to the founder of Wolfram Alpha about computing the world's knowledge, how his kids got him to start traveling, and why he's not scared of AI.

Noah Davis

Education

Here’s How Not to Teach First-Grade Math

One of the few rigorous studies of its kind shows that first-grade math teachers tend to use unproven alternative techniques when there are more math-challenged students in their class.

Bettina Chang