History and Culture
History of mathematics and cultural connections
Telepathy
How can we be sure that the predictions made are not the result of a gift of clairvoyance? Profound results in probability, which sometimes seem counterintuitive, can help convince you that the results observed are in fact nothing out of the ordinary...
The art of making numbers talk
We are awash in numerical and statistical information. Yet even objective, accurate data can be interpreted misleadingly. A little calculation and a sound grasp of error theory can correct some unwarranted conclusions.
Objective and perceived reality: biases | Tangente
We are all subject to various biases arising from our senses, our experience, or the conscious and unconscious messages we receive.
Pushkin’s poetry and Markov chains | Tangente
Every written language has its own grammatical and lexical structure. Its sounds are represented by recurring patterns of letters whose combinations are far from chaotic.
Demystifying the Bible's "secret codes"
Alain said: "You can prove anything you like; the real difficulty is knowing what you want to prove." With the advent of technologies that can produce fake documents, and everyone's desire to invent information that confirms their own ideas, this quotation has a bright future ahead of it...
The leading series on scientific skepticism | Tangente
Henri Broch founded the Book-e-Book publishing house in 2002 to publish works on scientific skepticism.
A mathematical approach to the paranormal
When it comes to the paranormal, it may seem easy to separate fact from fiction and use various tests and experiments to prove that a supposed medium or clairvoyant is nothing of the kind. Not so fast! Such protocols are difficult to set up, and few impressionable souls know about the Yule–Simpson paradox...
Zetetics, or the art of doubt
In recent years, zetetics has found its way into the science curricula of several universities. Contrary to a common misconception, its scope extends far beyond the mere study of paranormal phenomena…
Three exceptional mathematicians who have passed away | Tangente
The days following Christmas 2018 were particularly cruel for the mathematical community. In addition to Jean Bourgain, we learned of the deaths of Elias Menachem Stein (193–12018), Sir Peter Swinnerton-Dyer (1927–2018) and Sir Michael Francis Atiyah (1929–2019).
Jean Bourgain, Fields medalist, dies at 64 | Tangente
Belgian mathematician Jean Bourgain died on Saturday, December 22, 2018, following a long illness.
Astro: street art and optical illusions | Tangente
A painter and visual artist, Astro favors random structures and elementary geometric forms in both his paintings and his murals. Trompe-l'oeil, anamorphoses and other optical illusions also interest this self-taught artist.
Did Leonardo da Vinci invent the drone? | Tangente
Taken together, several studies and inventions foreshadow the advent of drones in aerial photography.
Leonardo da Vinci, master of polyhedra | Tangente
Leonardo da Vinci studied mathematics with Luca Pacioli, the greatest mathematician of the age. But the pupil soon surpassed the master! The artist-geometer's depictions of polyhedron nets upend some firmly held beliefs about the Renaissance.
Pythagoras: Leonardo's proof | Tangente
Leonardo da Vinci was not strictly speaking a mathematician, but the subject interested him, as it did many educated men of the Renaissance. We owe him an elegant proof of the Pythagorean theorem.
World harmony dictated by mathematics | Tangente
Beginning with painting, Leonardo da Vinci developed a vision of world harmony governed by mathematics.
Leonardo da Vinci: various perspectives | Tangente
Among Leonardo da Vinci's many talents, his ability to reveal the many facets of perspective—all explored in his work—was by no means the least. Having mastered vanishing-point perspective, he went on to explore atmospheric perspective and then the technique of sfumato.
Luca Pacioli, Leonardo's mathematician friend | Tangente
Luca Pacioli would play a major role in the life of Leonardo da Vinci, who used his mathematical knowledge both to depict polyhedra and to improve techniques of perspective drawing.
The artist as geometer
Artist, genius and gifted inventor, Leonardo da Vinci was a visionary. In a world only just emerging from the Middle Ages, and long before René Descartes, he understood the importance of the scientific method and the role of mathematics in understanding the world.
Bernard Novelli, master of logic puzzles | Tangente
No Tangente feature on mathematical games would be complete without acknowledging the role Bernard Novelli played on our magazine's team (see Tangente 141, 2011)
Tabletop games, games in society
Board games, solitaire games, tabletop games, games of chance, video games, traditional games… There is something for everyone, whatever their tastes! As cultural products, games reflect the societies that produce them. But they can also help us develop our mental abilities.