The geometry of fireworks

If you love math puzzles, you'll love this sequence, discovered by mathematician Lionel Levine in 1997. Neil Sloane, founder of the OEIS (On-line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences), explains the Levine Sequence – which escalates incredibly quickly – for numberphiles at any math level. READ THE REST

A Pringle is a hyperbolic paraboloid. Mel Magazine invited several mathematicians to analyze the delicious geometry of the chip. From Mel: Theron Hitchman, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Northern Iowa: Usually, the way mathematicians talk about this kind of thing is in an equation, but I think equations tend to scare people off,… READ THE REST

When I was a mechanical engineer in 1990, I faced a stubborn problem with the design of a disk drive baseplate (an aluminum base that the disk motor and actuator motor were mounted on). When the prototype drive spun up, the baseplate vibrated so much that the read/write heads couldn't stay on track. The first… READ THE REST

It's a big and beautiful world. And sometimes, it's easy to feel afraid that all the ill effects we've heaped on our resilient planet have practically consigned us to our doom. But hey…that's quitter's talk. Progress only happens when everybody does their part. And in celebration of Earth Day, this is a great time to… READ THE REST

May 17th is the 2021 U.S. tax filing deadline – and the way the past year has gone for millions of Americans, that extra month-long extension to get their 2020 return finished is a welcome sight. That's especially true for those already knee-deep in a sticky tax situation that was likely made worse by all… READ THE REST

The ostrich analogy is real. Nobody should be sticking their head in the sand to escape unpleasant truths. And one such unpleasant reality is that for all their functionality, headphones can be incredibly dangerous. An overwhelming 96 percent of Americans say it's dangerous to wear headphones or earbuds when driving. That number remains high for… READ THE REST