Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:A new study finds that a century-old infinite series for calculating π discovered by Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan can be applied in other corners of physics. For example, in physics, there is a critical point of water where liquid and vapor become indistinguishable, regardless of scale. By investigating these LCFTs further, specific versions of these theories can be used to describe other physical phenomena, including percolation and even black holes. And while his contributions to mathematics are well-known, experts are only beginning to reckon with his insights into modern physics. “We were simply fascinated by the way a genius working in early-20th-century India, with almost no contact with modern physics, anticipated structures that are now central to our understanding of the universe,” Sinha said in a press statement.