The human nose finds it simple to distinguish the aroma of fresh coffee from the stink of rotten eggs, but the underlying biochemistry is complicated. Researchers have now created an olfactory “map”—a geometric model of how molecules combine to produce various scents. This map could inspire a way to predict how people might perceive certain […]
Unraveling the Mathematics of Smell Read More »
According to the United Nations (UN), nearly 1 billion of the 8 billion people in the world live in slums (1). These dense and disordered communities form in urban areas without a formal plan; their residents frequently lack addresses. Often they don’t have immediate access to water, power, or emergency services. Slums stem from all
Can the principles of topology help improve the world’s slums? Read More »
IN JUNE 2014, oncologist Fabrice Denis of the Jean Bernard Center, a cancer hospital in Le Mans, France, began approaching people diagnosed with advanced lung cancer whose disease hadn’t progressed after initial treatment. He wanted them to try an unconventional approach to health care. It didn’t involve a new drug, a combination therapy or an experimental
The Patient Stays in the Picture Read More »
Around the world, rising seas pose a major threat to coastal communities. Flooding will likely become worse, damaging buildings where people live and work. People who reside near the ocean have to change the way they live and build, or get out altogether. Here are how a few coastal communities are facing climate change by
How three coastal communities are dealing with rising seas Read More »
And how mathematical collaborations yield breakthroughs. The biggest math heist in years happened the morning of Aug. 1 in a Rio de Janeiro auditorium packed with witnesses — none of whom saw it happen. The math world’s largest conference, the International Congress of Mathematicians, occurs every four years, and during the meeting, two to four
Prizes, Thievery and Higher-Dimensional Doughnuts Read More »
Research findings could help improve personalized treatments for lung cancer patients. ALL CANCEROUS TUMORS contain cells that divide rapidly. There are many genetic mutations and proteins that can cause tumor cells to grow uncontrollably. A recent study suggests there are racial differences in tumor biology—a finding that might help scientists develop better personalized cancer treatments. The
Lung Cancer Biology Differs by Race, Study Shows Read More »
Space oddities may help reveal dark matter and other secrets in the Milky Way. Astronomer Warren Brown explains. In April, the European Space Agency released the second massive trove of data from Gaia, a spinning, scanning satellite that for nearly five years has been spying on a billion stars. Its goal is to produce a
Unbound and Out: Boosted by black holes, stars speed off, leaving clues behind Read More »
Armies of zombie computers caused a lot of mayhem in 2018. In January, one cluster of infected, connected machines attacked the three biggest banks in the Netherlands. The attack crippled computer systems and left customers uncertain about their money. In February, a website for computer programmers, called Github, was knocked offline by a network of
Rise of the botnets Read More »
As wildfires grow in number and intensity, scientists look for the fingerprints of global warming The biggest fire in California history ignited shortly after noon on July 27, 2018, and burned until mid-September. Called the Mendocino Complex Fire, its twin infernos started at the same time. They also burned close to one another and quickly
Is climate change fanning megafires? Read More »
Pedestrians in downtown Miami one weekday last November might have noticed something unusual about the blue Ford Fusions threading their way through the city’s congested streets. An odd-looking array of cameras and sensors sat atop each car’s roof. And inside, the person in the driver’s seat almost never touched the steering wheel. Unlike the conventional
Can self-driving cars make roads safer and less congested? Read More »
