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The Simple Idea Behind Einstein’s Greatest Discoveries
Lurking behind Einstein’s theory of gravity and our modern understanding of particle physics is the deceptively simple idea of symmetry. But physicists are beginning to question whether focusing on symmetry is still as productive as it once was.
Philosophers Debate New ‘Sonic Black Hole’ Discovery
Opinions differ about what recent measurements of a sound-trapping fluid reveal about light-trapping black holes.
What’s in a Name? Taxonomy Problems Vex Biologists
Researchers struggle to incorporate ongoing evolutionary discoveries into an animal classification scheme older than Darwin.
When Magic Is Seen in Twisted Graphene, That’s a Moiré
What do moiré patterns seen in optics, art, photography and color printing have to do with superconducting layers of graphene?
How to Turn a Quantum Computer Into the Ultimate Randomness Generator
Pure, verifiable randomness is hard to come by. Two proposals show how to make quantum computers into randomness factories.
A New Law to Describe Quantum Computing’s Rise?
Neven’s law states that quantum computers are improving at a “doubly exponential” rate. If it holds, quantum supremacy is around the corner.
A 53-Year-Old Network Coloring Conjecture Is Disproved
In just three pages, a Russian mathematician has presented a better way to color certain types of networks than many experts thought possible.
A Mathematician Whose Only Constant Is Change
Amie Wilkinson searches for exotic examples of the mathematical structures that describe change.
Bacterial Complexity Revises Ideas About ‘Which Came First?’
Contrary to popular belief, bacteria have organelles too. Scientists are now studying them for insights into how complex cells evolved.