Blog – Page 2 – C. Sean Bohun

A Poll at the Forum

March 1, 2014February 27, 2014 by seanmathmodelguy

Often I see polls saying that Rob Ford has a political base that is either made of concrete or completely at odds with the reality of what it means to be a responsible leader that represents the people. The most recent example is a tweet in #TOpoli today citing an article in the Toronto Star … Read moreA Poll at the Forum

Confirming a New Years resolution

February 10, 2014February 9, 2014 by admin

Over the last year I have been taking note of some of the stories in the various science/tech news feeds with of hope of eventually finding the time to expound on them in a format such as this. There is really no perfect time to commence such an activity and over the winter break I … Read moreConfirming a New Years resolution

ICIAM has a newsletter

January 25, 2013 by seanmathmodelguy

I’ve received the following email from ICIAM and wanted to bring this to the wider mathematics community. Dear Colleagues, The January 2013 issue — Volume 1, No 1 — of the ICIAM Newsletter is now available. Please visit www.iciam.org/news to download a PDF copy of the Newsletter from the link that you will find there, … Read moreICIAM has a newsletter

On the origin of \(x\)

August 16, 2012 by seanmathmodelguy

Recently I had the opportunity to watch Why the \(x\) is Unknown TED talk from Terry Moore but I soon realized after talking to a colleague that the explanation Terry gives is much too simplified. Since there are cultural aspects to this question I’ve asked my colleague Carmen for her opinion. Have a listen in. Carmen, … Read moreOn the origin of \(x\)

New light trap design supercharges atom-thin semiconductors March 24, 2026

Scientists have found a clever way to supercharge ultra-thin semiconductors by reshaping the space beneath them rather than altering the material itself. By placing a single-atom-thick layer of tungsten disulfide over tiny air cavities carved into a crystal, they created miniature “light traps” that dramatically boost brightness and optical effects—up to 20 times stronger emission […]

Scientists built the hardest AI test ever and the results are surprising March 13, 2026

As AI systems began acing traditional tests, researchers realized those benchmarks were no longer tough enough. In response, nearly 1,000 experts created Humanity’s Last Exam, a massive 2,500-question challenge covering highly specialized topics across many fields. The exam was engineered so that any question solvable by current AI models was removed. Early results show even […]

A tiny twist creates giant magnetic skyrmions in 2D crystals March 2, 2026

Twisting atomically thin magnetic layers does more than reshape their electronics—it can create giant, topological magnetic textures. In chromium triiodide, researchers observed skyrmion-like patterns stretching far beyond the expected moiré scale, reaching hundreds of nanometers. Even more surprising, their size doesn’t simply follow the twist pattern but peaks at a specific angle. This twist-controlled magnetism […]

Brain inspired machines are better at math than expected February 14, 2026

Neuromorphic computers modeled after the human brain can now solve the complex equations behind physics simulations — something once thought possible only with energy-hungry supercomputers. The breakthrough could lead to powerful, low-energy supercomputers while revealing new secrets about how our brains process information.

Scientists create smart synthetic skin that can hide images and change shape February 6, 2026

Inspired by the shape-shifting skin of octopuses, Penn State researchers developed a smart hydrogel that can change appearance, texture, and shape on command. The material is programmed using a special printing technique that embeds digital instructions directly into the skin. Images and information can remain invisible until triggered by heat, liquids, or stretching.