The advantage of Rogers’ method was that you didn’t have to start with a particularly efficient lattice to get an efficient sphere packing. You just had to choose the right ellipsoid. But this introduced a new complication. Unlike a sphere, which is completely defined by a single number — its radius — an ellipsoid is… Continue reading New Sphere-Packing Record Stems From an Unexpected Source
Iran and the Logic of Limited Wars
Israel’s air war against Iran—“Operation Rising Lion”—may be over, but the controversy surrounding the attacks lives on. One key question is whether the U.S. strikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” succeeded in obliterating the deeply buried Fordow site or merely incapacitated it for a few months.… Continue reading Iran and the Logic of Limited Wars
These Climbers Summited Mount Everest in Record Time. Did Inhaling Xenon Help?
These Climbers Summited Mount Everest in Record Time. Did Inhaling Xenon Help? British climbers recently reached the top of Mount Everest in record time. They inhaled xenon gas before the trip. But was that the decisive factor? By Stephanie Pappas edited by Jeanna Bryner Part of the Himalayan mountains, Mount Everest is considered the highest… Continue reading These Climbers Summited Mount Everest in Record Time. Did Inhaling Xenon Help?
The Oakville Blobs – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World
The Oakville Blobs – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World < !- end of Google Analytics Code Snippet by GA4WP–> // tabnab protection window.addEventListener(‘load’, function () { // make all links have rel=”noopener noreferrer” document.querySelectorAll(‘a[target=”_blank”]’).forEach(link => { link.setAttribute(‘rel’, ‘noopener noreferrer’); }); }); ]]> Podcast: Download MYS374: Gelatinous blobs fell from the sky in Oakville, Washington—then people got… Continue reading The Oakville Blobs – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World
For the UK’s Early Years Education Workforce, Professional Development Should Be a Priority, Not a Perk
The early years education sector in the United Kingdom asks a lot of its workforce. Practitioners are expected to support children’s language, numeracy, social-emotional development, and more—often in settings stretched for time, staff, and resources. The training and professional development support needed to help staff meet these high expectations has traditionally been lacking. This is… Continue reading For the UK’s Early Years Education Workforce, Professional Development Should Be a Priority, Not a Perk
Computer Scientists Figure Out How To Prove Lies
Randomness is a source of power. From the coin toss that decides which team gets the ball to the random keys that secure online interactions, randomness lets us make choices that are fair and impossible to predict. But in many computing applications, suitable randomness can be hard to generate. So instead, programmers often rely on… Continue reading Computer Scientists Figure Out How To Prove Lies
Mitigating Emerging Human Intelligence Challenges with Forecasting
Human intelligence (HUMINT) has long been an informational cornerstone of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), providing crucial insights into the intentions and actions of foreign adversaries. Yet, as highlighted in a recent Washington Post article, the CIA’s ability to recruit and leverage human sources abroad may be facing significant challenges. This reported decline in HUMINT… Continue reading Mitigating Emerging Human Intelligence Challenges with Forecasting
How Can Regional Models Advance Climate Science?
Climate models have changed the way we view the world. While effective, these models are imperfect, and scientists are constantly looking at ways to improve their accuracy and predictability. MIT professor Elfatih Eltahir has spent decades developing complex models to understand how climate change affects vulnerable regions like the Nile Basin and Singapore. In this… Continue reading How Can Regional Models Advance Climate Science?
U.S.-Allied Militaries Must Prepare for the Quantum Threat to Cryptography
Quantum computers could eventually pose huge risks to the security of encrypted information, including national security information. There are two possible countermeasures to this threat. The U.S. government has clearly stated which one it plans to pursue, but not all U.S.-allied governments have articulated a clear position. Allied governments, especially militaries, should clarify their strategy… Continue reading U.S.-Allied Militaries Must Prepare for the Quantum Threat to Cryptography
The Biggest-Ever Digital Camera Is This Cosmologist’s Magnum Opus
On June 23, 2025, Tony Tyson joined a presentation in Washington, D.C., to unveil an image almost 30 years in the making: 10 million galaxies poised on an inky black backdrop. To appreciate each galaxy in detail, you’d have to stretch the picture across 400 TVs. It’s the first portrait of the cosmos delivered by… Continue reading The Biggest-Ever Digital Camera Is This Cosmologist’s Magnum Opus