A quick look at the role of mathematics in communication — from making and breaking codes to making sure messages arrive intact.

Why a positive test result doesn't necessarily mean you have the disease.

Here's the ancient proof that there are infinitely many prime numbers.

Why a DNA match doesn't necessarily prove your guilt.

How to describe the air in your room.

What would happen if the Sun suddenly exploded? Einstein wondered the same thing, and completely changed our understanding of the Universe.

We all instinctively recognise symmetry when we see it, but describing it in words is harder than you might think.

Our messy desk is proof of the second law of thermodynamics...

Why the expected outcome of rolling a die is 3.5.

Meet the algebra at the heart of your computer!

Claude Shannon's ingenious insight linking physical circuits with Boolean algebra paved the way for modern computing.

Opinion polls, election forecasts, testing new medical drugs — none of these would be possible without the central limit theorem.