Steven Strogatz's new book 'Big Math': machine-powered math can tackle millions of unknowns
stevenstrogatz · x · 2026-11-10
Mathematician Steven Strogatz and Alex Townsend publish 'Big Math: The Hidden Codes That Run Our World.' The Science Friday excerpt opens with MIT's Regina Barzilay — diagnosed with breast cancer at 43 with no family history (as is true for 80%+ of patients) — who pivoted to machine learning for medicine after treatment. The book argues machine math can handle problems with millions of unknowns, both concerning and enormously promising, and humans can still shape its trajectory.
Related event: Mathematician Strogatz publishes Big Math on hidden codes running our world(2 posts)→
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