Since the very first days of computer science — a field known for its methodical approach to problem-solving — randomness has played an important role. The first program to run on the world’s first ...

Using a powerful machine made up of 56 trapped-ion quantum bits, or qubits, researchers have achieved something once thought impossible. They have proven, for the first time, that a quantum computer ...

On 13 June 1944, a week after the allied invasion of Normandy, a loud buzzing sound rattled through the skies of battle-worn London. The source of the sound was a newly developed German instrument of ...

Randomness is essential today. From encrypting sensitive information to simulating biological systems, unpredictable numbers are indispensable. Yet most everyday random numbers aren’t truly random.

The goal of a 15 puzzle is to put numbered tiles in order. Now mathematicians have solved the opposite problem — how to scramble one. You’ve probably played a 15 puzzle. It’s that frustrating yet ...

Ask a designer or artist if any aspect of their process is random. The answer will likely reveal a complex relationship between human cognition, digital media, authorship, and even conceptions of ...