This December, a new section dedicated to mathematics has been launched in the general-interest press. ‘Between Theorems’ is a space coordinated by ICMAT within the science section of the newspaper ABC, in which, on a monthly basis, articles on mathematics will be published, written by researchers in this field and edited by Ágata Timón, coordinator of ICMAT’s Mathematical Culture Unit.

“At ICMAT we make numerous efforts to bring mathematics into the public conversation, and the traditional press is one of our favorite channels. Its contents not only reach the newspaper’s readers, but are also shared on social media, carried over to radio, and reach institutions. In this new collaboration with ABC we will offer attractive and rigorous, carefully crafted content that will showcase diverse perspectives on mathematics, thanks to a broad network of contributors,” says Timón.

The first article in the section, written by Timón together with Ángel Castro and David Martín de Diego, researchers from the Spanish National Research Council at ICMAT, addresses one of the most media-covered mathematical topics: the lottery. In this text, the authors provide an idea of the probabilities involved in the draw by comparing it with another, more manageable game. Using this example, they debunk some common misconceptions about the lottery and remind readers that all numbers have the same chances of winning in each draw, making rigorous predictions impossible and rendering irrelevant where the ticket is bought or which number is chosen.