Content about “
evolution

Article

Mathematical mysteries: Survival of the nicest?

One of the most puzzling aspects of human behaviour is cooperation, in situations where backstabbing and selfishness would seem to be more rewarding. From the point of view of evolutionary theory, the very existence of altruism and cooperation appear mysterious.
Article

Synchronised swimming

How do green algae manage a perfect breaststroke even though they haven't got a brain? Enter the maths of synchronisation.
News story

Conform to the norm

Why do most of us stick to social rules? Game theory offers an explanation.
Article

Counting the trees of life

How many possible genetic relationships are there between a collection of different species? The answer is mind-bogglingly large.
News story

No need for words

Where does our ability to do abstract maths come from? A new study sheds some fascinating light on the question.
News story

Born to count?

People as well as animals are born with a sense for numbers. But is this inborn number sense related to mathematical ability? A new study suggests that it is.