Archive

Why did sex evolve? Theories usually focus on the diversity of future generations, but some researchers find compelling explanations in the immediate benefits to individuals.

And why is the black hole at the center of our own galaxy so dim?

The “pinball” model of a slipping fault line borrows from the mathematics of avalanches.

The legendary mathematician, who died on April 11, was curious, colorful and one of the greatest problem-solvers of his generation.

For pioneering computer scientist Donald Knuth, good coding is synonymous with beautiful expression.

The first official evidence of a key imbalance between neutrinos and antineutrinos provides one of the best clues for why the universe contains something rather than nothing.

To stay healthy, humans and some other animals rely on a complex community of bacteria in their guts. But research is starting to show that those partnerships might be more the exception than the rule.

Freeman Dyson — physicist, mathematician, writer and idea factory — died on February 28, but his vitality lives on.

In their search for sources of genetic novelty, researchers find that some “orphan genes” with no obvious ancestors evolve out of junk DNA, contrary to old assumptions.