Archive

Latest Articles

Scientists Learn the Ropes on Tying Molecular Knots

October 29, 2018

As chemists tie the most complicated molecular knot yet, biophysicists create a “periodic table” that describes what kinds of knots are possible.

The (Imaginary) Numbers at the Edge of Reality

October 25, 2018

Odd enough to potentially model the strangeness of the physical world, complex numbers with “imaginary” components are rooted in the familiar.

Q&A

Prepping for a Flood of Heavenly Bodies

October 24, 2018

Mario Jurić is leading the push to get astronomy ready for the torrents of data that are about to flow.

A Proof About Where Symmetries Can’t Exist

October 23, 2018

In a major mathematical achievement, a small team of researchers has proven Zimmer’s conjecture.

World’s Oldest Fossils Now Appear to Be Squished Rocks

October 22, 2018

Evidence for life in 3.7-billion-year-old rocks appears to be crumbling away.

Why the Many-Worlds Interpretation Has Many Problems

October 18, 2018

The idea that the universe splits into multiple realities with every measurement has become an increasingly popular proposed solution to the mysteries of quantum mechanics. But this “many-worlds interpretation” is incoherent, Philip Ball argues in this adapted excerpt from his new book Beyond Weird.

How Equality and Inequality Shape the Birds and the Bees

October 17, 2018

Two dynamic, seemingly opposing forces likely played an important role in the evolution of reproduction and child rearing in social animals like bees and humans.

‘Broadband’ Networks of Viruses May Help Bacteria Evolve Faster

October 16, 2018

A newly discovered mechanism may enable viruses to shuttle genes between bacteria 1,000 times as often as was thought — making them a major force in those cells’ evolution.

Q&A

In the Ticking of the Embryonic Clock, She Finds Answers

October 15, 2018

Renee Reijo Pera has spent decades uncovering how the timing of embryonic development contributes to health and disease.

Get highlights of the most important news delivered to your email inbox