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EU tells Greece to defend its economic statistics as questions circle the...
The European Commission called on Greece to defend its economics statistics agency, after doubt was cast on the validity of its data following a court case.The former head of the Hellenic Statistical...
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This is what it looks like when society collapses
Before society collapses, it slows down.That's the conclusion of a study published on Monday in the journal PNAS. A team of researchers examined the archaeological record that Neolithic European — that...
View ArticleThe largest presidential poll ever got the results dead wrong
In 1936, a magazine called "Literary Digest"surveyed millions of people and predicted that Republican Alf Landon would handily defeat the Democratic incumbent, Franklin D. Roosevelt.Clearly, there was...
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The 12 mathematicians who unlocked the modern world
Mathematics is an increasingly central part of our world and an immensely fascinating realm of thought.But long before the development of the math that gave us computers, quantum mechanics, and GPS...
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Here's why '9 months of pregnancy' is a vexing myth
When my wife became pregnant with our first child, I believed women were supposed to carry a baby for nine months before giving birth.But I soon learned this was a myth.No matter how you estimate the...
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About 10 people a day die from misusing drugs in England and Wales
There were 3,674 drug poisoning deaths involving drugs in England and Wales last year, according to the Office for National Statistics – the most since records began in 1993.Around two-thirds of these...
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Babies cry in the womb and 18 other surprising facts I learned when I became...
First came the awe and elation at my wife's pregnancy. We were finally starting a family!In the next moment, an "Oh s--t!"panic sunk in.To counter the fear of becoming new parents we both read. And...
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The 12 most controversial facts in mathematics
Mathematics has little surprises that are designed to test and push your mental limits.The following 12 simple math problems prove outstandingly controversial among students of math, but are...
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Here's how we figured out how 'average' each state is
We recently ranked all 50 US states and Washington, DC based on how average each state was. Here's how we did it.We took 38 social, economic, and demographic measures, mostly from the 2015 American...
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Here's how bad government math spawned a racist lie about sexual assault
There's a stupid, absolutely false myth circulating on the racist internet: the idea that black men disproportionately rape white women, and white men never rape black women. Again, this claim is...
View ArticleWhat US cities will look like under 25 feet of water
Coastal cities could see a rise in sea levels by as much as 4 ft by the end of the century. To help put a visual to the number, artist Nickolay Lamm created this series of simulations of US city...
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A standard statistical model for stock prices is probably wrong
The idea that returns from financial assets are normally distributed underpins many traditional financial theories, but the reality is that many (even most) assets do not conform to this. Instead,...
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A mathematical theory says the perfect age to get married is 26 — here's why
If you're in your early 20s and think you might be part of the growing group of people taking a new interest in marriage, the 37% Rule is for you.According to journalist Brian Christian and cognitive...
View ArticleShockingly common misconceptions about Islam
Over the past year of election rhetoric, Islam has been a topic of tension and generalization. Here are some common misconceptions about one of the oldest religions in the world.Follow BI Video: On...
View ArticleHere's the difference between dog and cat owners
Ever wondered what owning a pet reveals about your personality? Scientific American combined hundreds of studies to determine which traits that owners of certain pets are likely to have. Produced by...
View Article8 scary facts about a world with 11 billion people
As the human lifespan grows longer, the Earth becomes more crowded. Worst case scenario estimates that as many as 11 billion people could be alive by 2100. Here's what that reality could look...
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How likely are foreign terrorists to kill Americans? The odds may surprise you
The idea that foreign terrorists pose a grave threat to Americans is sacrosanct to President Donald Trump's immigration ban, which he enacted on Friday.Trump's executive order immediately barred about...
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California's dam crisis highlights the surprisingly deadly history of...
Dams can be amazing sources of renewable, carbon-free energy. Just build a sturdy wall, let a reservoir naturally fill up with water, and allow gravity to drive electric generators and power nearby...
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A mathematical theory says the perfect age to get married is 26 — here's why
If you're in your early 20s and Valentine's Day has you thinking about your romantic future, consider the 37% Rule.According to journalist Brian Christian and cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths,...
View ArticleNate Silver has the perfect formula for winning your March Madness bracket
An estimated 40 million people will fill out brackets predicting the winner of the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament. Having the most accurate predictions can result in big money, so you want...
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