Are we only seeing the kind of news we want to see on social media? What effects do personalized algorithms have on our perception of news quality? Do algorithms help us serendipitously encounter ...

It’s hard to ignore the seismic shifts brought about by algorithm-driven content. Every time you scroll through your social media feed or check your favorite news app, algorithms are diligently at ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Imagine a town with two widget merchants. Customers prefer cheaper widgets, so the merchants must compete to set the lowest price.

In March 2021, a driver in Charlton, Massachusetts, plunged his car into Buffumville Lake while following GPS directions. Rescue teams were called to recover the completely submerged vehicle from 8 ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. If you want to solve a tricky problem, it often helps to get organized. You might, for example, break the problem into pieces and tackle ...