A mathematician from Harvard University named Michael Simkin has (basically) solved the n queens problem, a chess puzzle that’s some 150 years old. The mathematical challenge was created by chess composer Max Bezzel in 1848 and essentially asks “How many queens can you place on a chess board so that none are attacking each other?” Using complex linear algebra, the puzzle has been solved for …
1. Art Basel’s Best Instagram Moments If there’s one thing we’ve all learned from art fair attendance, it’s the unending opportunity for unique Instagram images one simply won’t find elsewhere. With industry-leading Art Basel’s 2017 Switzerland iteration wrapped, the best way to look back might just be through what people captured on social media and the Observer has compiled a strong list. While no Anish …
When one thinks of valuable entities, commonly we lean toward precious stones, gold, or maybe even water. The Harvard pigment library, however, houses another priceless thing: rare colors, colors that people used to search the world to find. Narayan Khandekar, the collection’s custodian (and the director of the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies at the Harvard Art Museums), says the work is approached …
