It has been long thought that one of the characteristics that makes humans unique is our ability to learn and manipulate symbols for communication. However, this notion is starting to slowly ...

Research shows that bees possess a mathematical ability once thought to exist only in dolphins, ... Honeybees Seem To Understand The Notion Of Zero. June 7, ... Using card with black symbols, ...

With modern mathematical notation, this becomes x(10 – x) = 21. As Mazur argues, the simplification of symbols may have aided the rapid acceleration of mathematical progress since the 16th century.

Mathematical Notation Gets an Upgrade. For 70 years, ... he found it impossible to explain with existing mathematical symbols. His only option, he decided, was to invent new ones.

Mathematics might seem intimidating at first glance, but understanding its symbols is like learning to read a new language, one that opens doors to science, technology, and logical thinking.

Most people, Joseph Mazur writes in his new book, "Enlightening Symbols: A Short History of Mathematical Notation and Its Hidden Powers," are surprised to learn this ubiquitous symbol didn't come ...