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 ...

The odds are not in your favor when it comes to winning the Powerball’s staggering $1.3 billion jackpot on Wednesday night, but there are a few things you can to tip the scales ever-so-slightly in ...

You’re at the checkout screen after an online shopping spree, ready to enter your credit card number. You type it in and instantly see a red error message ...

James is a published author with multiple pop-history and science books to his name. He specializes in history, space, strange science, and anything out of the ordinary.View full profile James is a ...

Abstract: Rapidly-exploring random tree star (RRT*) has attracted intensive attention in track planning due to its asymptotic optimal properties. However, the RRT* algorithm plans costly trajectory ...

The universe now has an open, quantum-powered dice roll—free, provable, and ready for anyone to use. Credit: Shutterstock NIST’s CURBy beacon transforms quantum “spooky action” into certified random ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Very little in this life is truly random. A coin flip is influenced ...

If your name gets picked for jury duty, it’s because a computer used a random number generator to select it. The same goes for tax audits or when you opt for a quick pick lottery ticket. But how can ...

A quantum random-number generator has been developed that uses classical cryptography to certify that its output was produced by a quantum process. A truly random number is generated by a process ...

Quantum computers still can’t do much. Almost every time researchers have found something the high-tech machines should one day excel at, a classical algorithm comes along that can do it just as well ...

Summary: Random numbers help us secure everything from bank accounts to classified servers. And yet, that essential layer of security can be spoofed. New research from the Oak Ridge National ...