Richard Prum explains why he thinks feathers and vibrant traits in birds evolved not solely for survival, but also through aesthetic choice.
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The Hidden Math of Ocean Waves Crashes Into View
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The math of even the simplest ocean waves is notoriously uncooperative. A team of Italian mathematicians has made major advances toward understanding it.
Researchers Discover the Optimal Way To Optimize
The leading approach to the simplex method, a widely used technique for balancing complex logistical constraints, can’t get any better.
Genes Have Harnessed Physics to Help Grow Living Things
The same pulling force that causes “tears” in a glass of wine also shapes embryos. It’s another example of how genes exploit mechanical forces for growth and development.
Loops of DNA Equipped Ancient Life To Become Complex
New work shows that physical folding of the genome to control genes located far away may have been an early evolutionary development.
Origami Patterns Solve a Major Physics Riddle
The amplituhedron, a shape at the heart of particle physics, appears to be deeply connected to the mathematics of paper folding.
A Thermometer for Measuring Quantumness
“Anomalous” heat flow, which at first appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics, gives physicists a way to detect quantum entanglement without destroying it.
How the Brain Balances Excitation and Inhibition
A healthy brain maintains a harmony of neurons that excite or inhibit other neurons, but the lines between different types of cells are blurrier than researchers once thought.
New Math Revives Geometry’s Oldest Problems
Using a relatively young theory, a team of mathematicians has started to answer questions whose roots lie at the very beginning of mathematics.
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The Quantum Mechanics of Greenhouse Gases
Earth’s radiation can send some molecules spinning or vibrating, which is what makes them greenhouse gases. This infographic explains how relatively few heat-trapping molecules can have a planetary effect.
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