Don't Miss Our Special Digital Issue on Fun and Games!

Don't miss out on this special issue packed with fun and learning!

Dear Friend of Scientific American, We are having a lot of fun with our "Fun and Games" summer online issue. Have you ever struggled to understand or explain the Monty Hall problem? The puzzle asks whether you, as a game show contestant, should keep the door you've chosen or pick a new one after the host shows you that one of the three doors has a dud gift behind it. A lot of mathematicians have gotten it wrong. Our interactive story lets you play from a contestant's perspective and a host's. When I shared the story on social media, my favorite response was from someone who said, "I finally get it!" (Isn't that a great feeling? When something is confusing and then you get it? I love that feeling.) The issue has a delightful and beautiful list of board games throughout history, some of which you can still play today. It's so humanizing of the past to know that people have been playing board games for many thousands of years. And games have had a surprising influence over history. The invention of dice led to probability theory (as well as new questions about the whims of God), and probability theory led to the scientific revolution. The rules of games can influence how we behave, whether it's on the game board or in real life. And live-action role-playing games can be empowering. In baseball, the average fastball speed has increased by two miles per hour in the past two decades, and the number of 100-mile-per-hour pitches has quadrupled. In poker, pro players know what the optimal strategy is—it's based on the Nash equilibrium—but they don't always use it. This interactive quiz can help identify the best games for you. And enjoy these classic Martin Gardner Mathematical Games columns on card tricks, flexagons, probability paradoxes and Möbius strips. Our special issue has its own science-themed crossword. We soft-launched a new games section this month with spellements (create as many words as you can), quizzes, jigsaw puzzles and short crosswords. Enjoy all this and more with our special offer: 60 days of unlimited digital access for $1! With best wishes for a fun summer, Laura Helmuth Editor-in-Chief Scientific American Subscribe   Special Digital Issue Highlights See Why Everyone Gets the Monty Hall Puzzle Wrong How to finally wrap your mind around the uniquely counterintuitive Monty Hall dilemma. Read More   These 10 Ancient Games Are Still Fun to Play Find new ways to fill the long summer days with these quick primers on 10 ancient games. Read More   How Game Designers Secretly Run Your Life Games have captivated people since ancient times. Now they run our lives. Read More   How Role-Playing a Sorceress Released My Inner Badass Thousands of people around the world do live-action role-playing to learn and change themselves. I am one of them. Read More   How Baseball Got Faster but Riskier Baseball pitchers are throwing faster than ever—and needing Tommy John surgery. Read More

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