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    The Magic of the Blackboard

    Why scientists can’t quit chalk, even in the digital age. The post The Magic of the Blackboard appeared first on Nautilus.
    by Theo Zenou Jan 10, 2024 4 minutes

    In the beginning, there is nothing. Then a stroke of white appears. And another. Characters form. Shapes emerge from the darkness. Order out of chaos.

    Something magical happens when a scientist writes with chalk on a blackboard. Hollywood directors know this, and have harnessed it in films from A Beautiful Mind to Oppenheimer.  But no one appreciates the power of this venerable technology better than physicists and mathematicians, who infinitely prefer the humble blackboard to its high-tech rivals. The question is, why? What does slate-and-chalk offer, which cannot be simulated by paper or plastic?

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     Pictured here is the Kauffman model, which researchers use to model algorithms that mimic aspects of natural selection. It highlights a feature of biological

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