Three centuries of mathematical genius led by Sir Isaac Newton couldn’t solve these problems from the field of dynamics, but a 16-year-old German boy fiddling with a school project could. Unfortunately, his achievements will probably be used to help governments kill people with greater precision.

Incidentally, Shouryya Ray lives and attends school in Dresden. The city was the recipient of more than 3,900 tons of high-explosive and incendiary bombs dropped by the British Royal Air Force during World War II. The attack killed more than 20,000 people. –ARK

Canada.com:

The solution devised by Shouryya Ray, 16, makes it possible to calculate exactly the path of a projectile under gravity and subject to air resistance.

… The problems he resolved are from the field of dynamics. The first, dealing with the movement of projectiles through the air, was posed by Newton in the 17th century. The second, which relates to the collision of a body with a wall, was posed in the 19th century.

Only partial solutions had been discovered up to now, requiring simplified assumptions or calculations by computer. Shouryya’s elegant solutions could contribute to greater precision in fields such as ballistics.

Read more

WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...

This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.

At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.

Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.

Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.

Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.

Donate now.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG