Messiness Rules: In high dimensions, disorder packs tightest

Should you find yourself with a 60-dimensional suitcase, the best way to pack it may be the easiest: Throw in everything in a jumble. That’s the way to fit the most high-dimensional spheres into a fixed space, new research suggests.

JUMBLE IS BEST. In three dimensions, disorderly arrangements of spheres, such as this one, are less dense than tidier arrangements.