Beneath the varnish of flashing lights and free cocktails, casinos stand on a bedrock of mathematics, engineered to slowly bleed their patrons of cash. For years, mathematically inclined minds have tried to turn the tables by harnessing their knowledge of probability and game theory to exploit weaknesses in a rigged system. An amusing example played… Continue reading The Gambling Strategy That’s Guaranteed to Make Money and Why You Should Never Use It
Shapiro Could Be the First Prominent Democrat to Deliver School Choice
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro could still be the first in his party to provide genuine school choice for his constituents. Part of Shapiro’s original allure was his ability to think and act for himself. When, as a gubernatorial candidate, he expressed his support for Lifeline Scholarships, Shapiro captured the attention of voters and pundits alike. Bucking… Continue reading Shapiro Could Be the First Prominent Democrat to Deliver School Choice
Leo Taxil’s Masonic Revelations (Freemasonry, Satanism)
Podcast: Download MYS272: In 1885, when Leo Taxil, a former Freemason, reverted to the Catholic Church, he made some startling revelations about Freemasonry. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli examine who Taxil was, what he revealed, and how he was embraced by Church leaders, including Pope Leo XIII. Get all new episodes automatically and for free:… Continue reading Leo Taxil’s Masonic Revelations (Freemasonry, Satanism)
Even Synthetic Life Forms With a Tiny Genome Can Evolve
The new evolution experiments are starting to provide insights into how the smallest, simplest organisms might evolve — and how principles of evolution unite all forms of life, even genetic novelties developed in labs. “Increasingly, we are seeing evidence that this [minimal cell] is an organism that is not something bizarro and unlike the rest… Continue reading Even Synthetic Life Forms With a Tiny Genome Can Evolve
Do Generals Dream of Electric Tanks?
Members of the House Armed Services Committee have expressed concerns over the electrification of Army combat vehicles. Though such concerns have some merit, there is also a larger issue motivating research and development efforts—the growing demand for energy on the battlefield. Strategists analyzing a potential U.S.-China conflict will often comment on the challenges presented by… Continue reading Do Generals Dream of Electric Tanks?
Two Students Unravel a Widely Believed Math Conjecture
They looked exactly as expected: a wall of white, peppered with black specks for smaller integers. “We expected the black dots to peter out,” Stange said. Rickards added, “I thought maybe it would even be possible to prove they peter out.” He speculated that by looking at charts that synthesized many packings together, the team… Continue reading Two Students Unravel a Widely Believed Math Conjecture
Private Military Contractors, China’s Efforts to Imprison Tibetans, Truth Decay: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss how the U.S. and its allies can undermine Russia’s private military contractors; what nighttime lighting reveals about China’s efforts to imprison Tibetans; how “Truth Decay” is damaging U.S. national security; the evidence on stackable credentials; growing the film industry in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and the Air Force’s fiscal shortfalls. Photo released by… Continue reading Private Military Contractors, China’s Efforts to Imprison Tibetans, Truth Decay: RAND Weekly Recap
Muon Mystery Deepens with Latest Measurements
Muons continue to confound physicists. These unstable subatomic particles are much like familiar electrons, only with 200 times the mass and a fleeting lifetime of just 2.2 microseconds. Unlike electrons, however, muons are at the center of a tangled inquiry into the prevailing theory of particle physics. For decades, physicists have puzzled over tantalizing hints… Continue reading Muon Mystery Deepens with Latest Measurements
Escaping Afghanistan
My 9-year-old daughter still remembers August 2021 as a “horrible time.” After the fall of Kabul that month, my husband and I, both Air Force officers who had served in Afghanistan, found ourselves pulled into a complex, unofficial operation to help evacuate U.S. citizens and Afghan allies. There were endless sleepless nights spent frantically sending… Continue reading Escaping Afghanistan
Maui’s Deadly Wildfires Are a Reminder of Growing Risks
The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. Wildfires, pushed by powerful winds, raced through Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 8 and 9, 2023, leaving a charred and smoldering landscape across the tourist town of about 13,000 residents that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii. At least 36… Continue reading Maui’s Deadly Wildfires Are a Reminder of Growing Risks