Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. Narwhal (Monodon monoceros)
The Mayan temple of Tikal in Guatemala is about a day’s walk from Xultun, where researchers discovered mathematical formulas scrawled on the walls.Credit: Kryssia Campos/Getty A mathematical formula inscribed on a wall at the Mayan site of Xultún in Guatemala has revealed for the first time the name of an important Mayan mathematician and astronomer.