An ancient collection of dice discovered by archaeologists might rewrite the history of how humans have understood mathematical concepts like probability.
A new Colorado State University study examined the earliest known dice in human history. Native American hunter-gatherers across the western U.S. first used the dice as early as12,000 years ago.
Robert Madden, the CSU researcher behind the finding, says these dice weren't just for entertainment. They were tools of commerce. They helped people barter and trade goods – and also helped shape early thinking about probability and other math concepts.
Robert spoke with Erin O’Toole about the discovery and what it reveals about humanity’s long-running fascination with games of chance.
