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Cat count

Using mathematics to do a head count, researchers have discovered the world's biggest jaguar population in a protected area.
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A rare view of Venus

The Venus transit on June 8 gives us the chance to measure the scale of the Solar System.
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Editorial

  • Editorial trends - According to current trends, this editorial will never get written!
  • I've got your number - Soon the maths-phobic will have nowhere left to hide.
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How the leopard got its spots

How does the uniform ball of cells that make up an embryo differentiate to create the dramatic patterns of a zebra or leopard? How come there are spotty animals with stripy tails, but no stripy animals with spotty tails? Lewis Dartnell solves these, and other, puzzles of animal patterning.
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Running a lottery, for beginners

There are many different types of lottery around the world, but they all share a common aim: to make money. John Haigh explains why lotteries are the way they are.

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101 uses of a quadratic equation: Part II

In issue 29 of Plus, we heard how a simple mathematical equation became the subject of a debate in the UK parliament. Chris Budd and Chris Sangwin continue the story of the mighty quadratic equation.

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Mathematics for aliens

It has often been observed that mathematics is astonishingly effective as a tool for understanding the universe. But, asks Phil Wilson, why should this be? Is mathematics a universal truth, and how would we tell?
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Post-14 post-Smith

A UK government inquiry into maths education has the statistics community worried.