Mental Floss

MATH

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Look closely.

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If there’s one thing wordplay aficionados like to mess around with, it’s the numerical value of the letters of the alphabet.

Alan Turing

More than six decades after his death, Alan Turing’s life remains a point of fascination—even for people who have no interest in his groundbreaking work in computer science.

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Understanding the design can tell you a lot about how vision works.

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The only way in is to score in the 98th percentile.

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You know math better than you think you do: Our mathematical thinking includes not just algebra or geometry, but trigonometry, calculus, probability, statistics, and any of the at least 60 types of math out there.

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An estimated 99 percent of people who attempt it fail.

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This impossible-seeming task has a surprisingly simple solution.

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If you're chopping your potatoes into even quarters before tossing them in the oven, you're missing out on a whole lot of crisp.

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Who needs computers or calendars when you've got your brain?

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Between 1992 and 1996, artist Agnes Denes built a mountain.

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It's called M77232917 for short.

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Let's try to wrap our heads around it.

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Marjorie Rice tackled an enduring mathematical question by doodling in her kitchen.

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It took mathematicians a while to warm up to these controversial numbers.

Courtesy University of Manchester

They have not been seen in at least 30 years.

Doctor ASKY, Facebook

We'll give you a minute.

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Your cargo of rare fish was washed overboard. Can you figure out how many tanks you need to retrieve?

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Can you figure out when Cheryl's birthday is?

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Many problems routinely encountered around the house benefit from mathematical methods and insights.