Surely you have experienced this scenario: An employee walks into a manager’s office and declares, “We have a problem.” The manager, not at all phased by this statement, replies calmly, “Well, I know ...

The world is a pretty complicated place. Just think about all the moving parts it takes to get sliced bread delivered, regularly, to your local grocery store and then apply that to every facet of life ...

A problem doesn't last a lifetime. But how you deal with it can make it linger for years without resolution. In my studies about the topic, I've identified that, in addition to everything that ...

For decades, mathematicians tried to come up with the optimal sofa shape to move around a corner. Post-doctoral student Jineon Baek posted a 100-page proof that claims to solve the problem. In a scene ...

A new proof reveals the answer to the decades-old “moving sofa” problem. It highlights how even the simplest optimization problems can have counterintuitive answers. If you’ve ever moved into a new ...

Creative problem-solving can be an exhilarating experience. You get a triple benefit: the euphoric 'aha' moment of solving a puzzle, the pride of accomplishing a goal, and the deeper self-discovery of ...

Problem/solution commercials work, IF they’re structured properly. They won’t work if the problem doesn’t seem real. The order in which we build our spot is important. Remember, you’re speaking to an ...

Consider someone who’s perfectly content with their office chair. It’s not ergonomic, it doesn’t have lumbar support, but it works. Then, during a meeting or a visit to a friend’s office, they sit in ...

Alan Veliz-Cuba has received funding from the Simons Foundation and the American Mathematical Society for some of his research. You can probably think of a time when you’ve used math to solve an ...

In principle, this impossible math allows for a glue-free bridge of stacked blocks that can stretch across the Grand Canyon—and into infinity Keep going. If you stack as many blocks as you can, what ...

Nathan Brownlowe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond ...