The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. “Obviously” is a dangerous word, even in scenarios that seem simple. Suppose, for instance, you need to do an important computation. You ...

This week I got an email from a reader who asks, "I have a stand-alone hard drive that cannot be accessed anymore. I've tried different laptops and different cables, but to no avail. The light is ...

“Obviously” is a dangerous word, even in scenarios that seem simple. Suppose, for instance, you need to do an important computation. You get to choose between two computers that are almost identical, ...