The May issue of Scientific news always seems special to me because it is distributed to more than 1,600 high school students around the world who participate in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Exhibitionwhich will take place May 9-15 in Phoenix. We also share Scientific news exploresour sister magazine for curious young readers, with candidates and on Education Awareness Day. Science News Media Group editors will be on hand to discuss science and science journalism with local middle and high school students and teachers.
The fair, organized by the nonprofit Society for Science, celebrates the hard work that makes discoveries possible. As journalists, we most often cover science when there is a big “aha!” moment. But the work that leads up to this moment is just as important.
In this issue, we explore how mathematicians are adopting technology to help them with the arduous task of verifying their work. Mathematicians use computers to “formalize” the evidencereports independent writer Stephen Ornes. Today, AI tools are advancing these efforts. The ultimate goal: to create a digital library of all mathematics.
We are also in contact with linguists who are creating new languages never spoken on Earth for hit films like Avatar. Author JRR Tolkien spent decades creating Elvish languages and scripts for THE Lord of the Ringsand fans learned about them. This is no small task. Even constructed languages, or conlangsmust follow rules of logic and syntax, Scientific news explores Deputy editor Maria Temming found out. And scientists use conlangs to explore how the brain processes languages.
And although most scientific activity takes place out of public view, the tools of this invisible work can be magnificent. One of the world’s largest collections of scientific specimens is housed in a specialized facility in suburban Maryland owned by the Smithsonian Institution. We’re not talking about an old storage unit, unless yours has miles of shelves and the jaw bones of a blue whale. Scientists and curators from the National Museum of Natural History gave writer Meghan Rosen and independent photographer Stephen Voss an overview of some of their favorites from the collection of 148 million items, and I’m delighted that we can share them with you.