Researchers investigate mathematical proofs, dark matter, and brain activity

by Henrik Aaltonen About Henrik AaltonenOctober 16, 20266 links · ~37 min read · ~1 min for the TL;DR

Error Bars by Henrik Aaltonen: six links on Science every week.

TL;DR

The Guardian presents a treacherous round table riddle framed as an enduring puzzle.
A DeepMind study questions what mathematicians lose when focusing strictly on answers while artificial intelligence generates mathematical proofs.
Researchers conducted modal analysis on a twentieth-century replica bell at Penn State Behrend to search for clues about how the Liberty Bell sounded.
Three computer scientists hurried to publish a milestone Unique Games result amid rumors that artificial intelligence was closing in on a proof.
Scientists investigating potential dark matter sightings consider a supersymmetric particle called a higgsino, though the hypothesis faces issues.
Researchers observed brain changes by placing participants inside an MRI tube to meditate both with and without psilocybin.

From the curator

Researchers and thinkers test limits across mathematics, physics, and neuroscience while adapting to machine competition. Science News's 6-minute article asks what is lost when mathematicians focus only on answers as artificial intelligence generates proofs, citing a DeepMind study. In a similar vein, Quanta Magazine's 10-minute article describes how three computer scientists rushed to publish a milestone result on the Unique Games problem to beat a rumored machine proof. Ars Technica's 4-minute article highlights researchers conducting modal analysis on a replica bell at Penn State Behrend to reconstruct the Liberty Bell's sound, showing how laboratory tools uncover acoustic history.

Henrik Aaltonen

Curated for this issue

the Guardian2 min readCan you solve it? The treacherous riddle of the round table
A puzzle for the ages

Science News6 min readCan math stay human in the age of AI?
As AI churns out mathematical proofs, a DeepMind study raises a bigger question: What do we lose when we focus only on the answers?

Ars Technica4 min readWhat did the Liberty Bell sound like? Science is on the case.
Researchers hunted for clues in modal analysis of 20th-century replica bell at Penn State Behrend.

Quanta Magazine10 min readAs AI Closed In on ‘Unique Games’ Proof, Researchers Raced to Beat the Machines
In the shadow of a rumored AI proof of one of the biggest problems in their field, three computer scientists rushed to publish their own milestone result.

Science News6 min readScientists may have seen dark matter. If they did, what exactly is it?
One theory points to a long-awaited supersymmetric particle called a ‘higgsino.’ But that idea has some issues.

Ars Technica7 min readOne with the world? A new look at brains transformed by psychedelics.
Participants meditated inside an MRI tube, with and without psilocybin.

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From the curator

the Guardian2 min readCan you solve it? The treacherous riddle of the round tableA puzzle for the ages

Science News6 min readCan math stay human in the age of AI?As AI churns out mathematical proofs, a DeepMind study raises a bigger question: What do we lose when we focus only on the answers?

Ars Technica4 min readWhat did the Liberty Bell sound like? Science is on the case.Researchers hunted for clues in modal analysis of 20th-century replica bell at Penn State Behrend.

Quanta Magazine10 min readAs AI Closed In on ‘Unique Games’ Proof, Researchers Raced to Beat the MachinesIn the shadow of a rumored AI proof of one of the biggest problems in their field, three computer scientists rushed to publish their own milestone result.

Science News6 min readScientists may have seen dark matter. If they did, what exactly is it?One theory points to a long-awaited supersymmetric particle called a ‘higgsino.’ But that idea has some issues.

Ars Technica7 min readOne with the world? A new look at brains transformed by psychedelics.Participants meditated inside an MRI tube, with and without psilocybin.