Japan’s First Hydrogen Train Begins Its Test Run

Developed by East Japan Railway Co, in partnership with Toyota Motor Corporation and Hitachi Ltd, Japan’s first hydrogen-fueled train is slated to begin trial testing next month—a plan that’s on track to assist the country in achieving its 2050 carbon-neutrality goal. The vehicle, a two-car “hybari” train (which combines the word hybrid with the Japanese word for a lark), can travel up to 140 kilometers …

Juha Tanhua’s Photography Turns Parking Lot Oil Spills Into Galaxies

Finnish photographer Juha Tanhua noticed an oil spill by his car that reminded him of the Northern Lights. He captured it, then forgot about it. When he rediscovered the image in his archive, he began to seek out and photograph more leaks around parking lots after heavy rain. Tanhua soon amassed a collection—which he refers to as “oil paintings,” since they are quite literally artworks …

150-Year-Old Chess Puzzle Solved

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 …