And Dr Agrawal is interested in using similar techniques to investigate the long-standing problem of taking square roots in finite fields (again, don't ask).

ECONOMIST: Number theory

Regulators treat these important products as though they pose uniquely worrisome risks, in spite of a long-standing consensus in the scientific community that the newer techniques are essentially an extension, or refinement, of more primitive ones.

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Imaging techniques are so good that geologists can approximate standing inside a rock formation to look for the spots most likely to hold oil.

FORBES: Technology