We care about your data, and we'd like to use cookies to give you a smooth browsing experience. Please agree and read more about our privacy policy.By making use of randomness, a team has created a simple algorithm for estimating large numbers of distinct objects in a stream of data.Nico Roper/Quanta MagazineIntroductionImagine that you’re sent to a pristine rainforest to carry out a wildlife census. Every time you see an animal, you snap a photo. Your digital camera will track the total number ...