R andom searches are routinely used in many algorithms, for instance, when looking for the shortest path connecting 100 cities or for ordering genomes in a most-parsimonious descendency tree. In this issue of PNAS, Matsen and Nowak (1) use a random search for another type of problem, that of finding coherence rather than optimality. The task thus consists of reaching unanimity. The proposed sol...

In boom times, it is easy for managers to forget about risk. And not just financial risk, but organizational and operational risk as well. Now there's the risk exposure calculator, a new tool that will help managers determine exactly where and how much internal risk is mounting in their companies. The risk calculator is divided into three parts: The first set of "keys" alerts managers to the pr...