Week in Science: 3D einstein tile discovered

Plus, more OpenAI math drama                    

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October 16—This week, more drama surrounding OpenAI’s model solving a famous conjecture. The company was accused of replicating the work of other mathematicians, but experts looking at the proof now think the model found a novel way of solving the problem altogether. Plus, a knitting stitch that stops mistakes from spreading, the discovery of a 3D einstein tile and a sobering diagnosis on Earth’s “vital signs.” Think you know science news? Take our Friday quiz to find out. —Emma Gometz, Newsletter Editor Have thoughts or feedback on our coverage? Email newsletters@sciam.com anytime.

Top Stories

OpenAI’s blockbuster math proof isn’t what you think it is Rumors that OpenAI’s “Navier-Stokes” solution stole the work of two mathematicians may have been overblown Joseph Howlett

Mathematicians invented a knitting stitch that stops mistakes from spreading With a little help from knot theory, scientists have invented a “robust knit” to fight laddering Emma Gometz

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A unique shape, a 3D einstein tile, has been discovered AI helped uncover a special object that can fill space without repeating patterns Rachel Crowell

Feverish after a vaccine? The reason could be your gut microbiome In a new study, people who had worse fevers after a COVID shot tended to have similar gut characteristics Jackie Flynn Mogensen

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Earth’s ‘life support systems’ are breaking down, climate scientists warn “The climate emergency is already here” Jackie Flynn Mogensen

Lettuce engineered to produce meat proteins Protein-packed leaves might be the key to better meat alternatives Lila Magbilang

An ancient Chinese math puzzle shows how to win at cards, horse races and gerrymandering A stratagem that dates back two millennia leads to a math puzzle that took 30 years to solve Dana Mackenzie

Scientists just voted to redefine how the world keeps time A new system, called the “leap hour,” will allow Earth’s rotation and official time to fall out of alignment by a full hour Emma Gometz

Meet Mark and Sam, the AI agents that ran my errands for a week Meta’s and OpenAI’s new agents can streamline your life. Artificial intelligence researchers helped me test how far to trust them Mary Randolph

Honeybees deemphasize potential ‘misinformation’ in their waggle dances Confident bees work harder to convince their peers of tasty treats Marta Hill

Do women hit a biological ‘cliff’ at menopause? Certain health markers seem to “jump” during menopause, according to a new study, but it’s unclear why Jackie Flynn Mogensen

New ‘First Proof’ exam reveals how AI-powered math is a pay-to-play sport The benchmark confirms that some AIs are becoming exceptional tools for research-level math. But open-source models still struggle Joseph Howlett

Scientists wonder: Is my AI stealing my ideas? Researchers are using AI as a sounding board throughout their work. But concerns are growing that companies may present users’ ideas as those of their models Peter Hall

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