Mathematical Proof That Rocked Number Theory Will Be Published

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April 03, 2020

Dear Reader, In August 2012, Japanese mathematician Shinichi Mochizuki released papers on the Internet claiming to provide proof for the abc conjecture in number theory, considered to be one of the biggest unresolved problems in modern mathematics. After an eight-year struggle, he has finally received some validation. Mochizuki's 600-page proof has been accepted for publication—but the controversy lingers. Read our lead story to learn more. Here's what else we're covering today: How did the coronavirus slip by disease detectives? The U.S. government launched a program to hunt for exactly this type of threat more than two decades ago.  Analysing wastewater is one way researchers can track infectious diseases. So far, researchers have found traces of the new coronavirus in the Netherlands, U.S. and Sweden using this method In recent years, California has experienced the deadliest and most destructive fires on record. Climate change has doubled the number of extreme-risk days for wildfires in the state, according to research.

Sunya Bhutta, Senior Editor, Audience Engagement @sunyaaa

Math Mathematical Proof That Rocked Number Theory Will Be Published But some experts say author Shinichi Mochizuki failed to fix fatal flaw in the solution of a major arithmetics problem By Davide Castelvecchi,Nature magazine

Public Health Why the Coronavirus Slipped Past Disease Detectives Groups of scientists tasked with identifying pandemic-prone microbes were stretched too far and thin By Charles Schmidt

Climate Climate Change Has Doubled Riskiest Fire Days in California The extreme conditions that are ripe for wildfires will only increase if warming continues unabated By Anne C. Mulkern,E&E News

Public Health How Sewage Could Reveal True Scale of Coronavirus Outbreak Wastewater testing could also be used as an early-warning sign if the virus returns By Smriti Mallapaty,Nature magazine

Public Health Coronavirus Disrupts Vital Field Research--Including Disease Transmission Work Scientists across the globe have been cut off from sites and experimental resources—or stranded abroad By Katherine Harmon Courage

Public Health Why Social Media are Crucial for Frontline Physicians in the Fight Against COVID-19 The disease spreads so fast and is so poorly understood that doctors and researchers are sharing their findings on Twitter and Facebook, not medical journals By Reuben Strayer

FROM THE STORE Scientific American Digital & Full Archive For $69 per year, your Digital & Full Archive subscription includes 12 digital issues with full digital archive access back to 1845 and Android and iOS app access.

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FROM THE ARCHIVE Math Mystery: Shinichi Mochizuki and the Impenetrable Proof A Japanese mathematician claims to have solved one of the most important problems in his field. The trouble is, hardly anyone can work out whether he's right By Davide Castelvecchi,Nature magazine | October 2015

QUOTE OF THE DAY "If the best mathematicians spend time trying to work out what's going on and fail, how can one referee on his own have any chance?" Anonymous Mathematician, Scientific American

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