Today’s picks
1. OpenAI unleashes hundreds more math results upon a field already in shock
A month after resolving one of mathematics’ six biggest open problems, OpenAI says a new internal model has produced hundreds more results—without the multimillion-dollar price tag. If verified, it would underscore how fast frontier AI is advancing in advanced mathematics and how sharply costs may be falling. The development could reshape how math research is conducted, checked, and funded, making it worth reading closely.
2. American investors’ trick to lower taxes: lose money
American investors increasingly use tax-loss harvesting—deliberately realizing losses—to offset capital gains and shrink their tax bills. Direct indexing and market volatility have made the strategy more powerful and widespread. Now tax authorities are losing patience and scrutinizing whether some uses abuse wash-sale rules. The article explains how the tactic works, who benefits, and why regulators may push back.
3. China wants to get inside your head
Brain-computer interfaces are emerging as the newest front in the US-China tech rivalry. This piece examines China’s research push, industrial ambitions and regulatory approach, and what its competition with America means for the field. It is worth reading for a clear view of how neural technology is becoming a matter of geopolitics.
4. Two meteor showers are lighting up the October sky—here’s how to see them
October brings two meteor showers: the Draconids and the Orionids, both peaking this month. The article explains when each shower peaks, where to look, and how to observe them. It is a concise guide for anyone hoping to catch these celestial events.
5. ‘It could knock a whole street down’: the art of defusing a second world war bomb
On 14 January, British army and navy teams faced two simultaneous WWII bombs: one on a Plymouth building site, another on a dredger in Exmouth. This article follows the delicate work of identifying, moving and disposing of unexploded German ordnance, where a single mistake could destroy a street. It is worth reading for its vivid look at bomb-disposal expertise, risk, and communities still living with wartime remnants.
6. The Nobel for medicine goes to lighting up the brain
The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine goes to the inventors of optogenetics, a technique that uses light to switch specific neurons on and off. By making brain circuits controllable with millisecond precision, it turned neuroscience from observation into causal experiment. The award recognises both the method’s reach and the ethical and therapeutic questions it raises.
By publication
The Economist
- American investors’ trick to lower taxes: lose money
- China wants to get inside your head
- The Nobel for medicine goes to lighting up the brain
Scientific American
- OpenAI unleashes hundreds more math results upon a field already in shock
- Two meteor showers are lighting up the October sky—here’s how to see them