How can we get a grip on the uncertainties in mathematical models?

Mr and Mrs Magnus are a happy gnome couple. Unfortunately, foreseeing that they will be unable to keep up with their rising mortgage repayments, they've been forced to move into my back garden, where they've acquired a plot to build a house on. Gnome by-laws state that the total number of bricks…

The early 1950s were an experimental gold mine for physicists, with new particles produced in accelerators almost every week. Yet the strong nuclear force that acted between them defied theoretical description, sending physicists on a long and arduous journey that culminated in several Nobel prizes…

José-Manuel Rey unveils the curse of attractiveness

Ada Lovelace, born 200 years ago this month, is hailed the world's first computer programmer. What exactly was her contribution to computer science?

Suppose you walk past a barber's shop one day, and see a sign that says "Do you shave yourself? If not, come in and I'll shave you! I shave anyone who does not shave himself, and noone else." This seems fair enough, and fairly simple, until, a little later, the following question occurs to you -…

Why can't human beings walk as fast as they run? And why do we prefer to break into a run rather than walk above a certain speed? Using mathematical modelling, R. McNeill Alexander finds some answers.

We celebrate Women in Mathematics Day with a look at three amazing women from the history of mathematics.

Peter Markowich is a mathematician who likes to take pictures. At first his two interests seemed completely separate to him, but then he realised that behind every picture there is a mathematical story to tell. Plus went to see him to find out more, and ended up with a pictorial introduction to…

There are several ways in which it can and studies suggest they could be safe and effective.