The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Imagine a town with two widget merchants. Customers prefer cheaper widgets, so the merchants must compete to set the lowest price.

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Tracking the first astronauts’ visit to Mars won’t be as simple ...

Today the Standard publishes a ready reckoner calculator to help readers to work out whether they will be better or worse off once all the measures announced come into effect. More than 1.7 million ...

Learn how to gain control of your saving and spending Are you struggling to keep your spending below your income? Do you strategize about how to increase your savings? Our free budgeting calculator ...

Landlords could no longer rely on rent-pricing software to quietly track each other's moves and push rents higher using confidential data, under a settlement between RealPage Inc. and federal ...

Lessons from China’s innovative digital giant by Ming Zeng Alibaba hit the headlines with the world’s biggest IPO in September 2014. Today, the company has a market cap among the global top 10, has ...