Archive
Latest Articles
Mini-Brains Go Modular
To create a good living replica of the human brain, your best hope may be to let “organoid” components assemble it for you.
New Shapes Solve Infinite Pool-Table Problem
Two “rare jewels” have illuminated a mysterious multidimensional object that connects a huge variety of mathematical work.
Joe Polchinski’s Restless Pursuit of Quantum Gravity
The pot-stirring string theorist and quantum gravity theorist never sits still for long.
Scientists Unveil New Inventory of Universe’s Dark Contents
The first major results from the Dark Energy Survey signal the start of a new era of cosmology.
What Made the Moon? New Ideas Try to Rescue a Troubled Theory
Textbooks say that the moon was formed after a Mars-size mass smashed the young Earth. But new evidence has cast doubt on that story, leaving researchers to dream up new ways to get a giant rock into orbit.
Shrinking Bat DNA and Elastic Genomes
Species gain and shed startling amounts of DNA as they evolve, and even genomes that look stable churn furiously. What does it mean?
Cookie-Cutter Supernovas Might Come in Different Flavors
Astronomers thought that all Type Ia supernovas shine with the same brightness, making them incredibly useful cosmic yardsticks. But uncertainty over what causes these explosions has led researchers to reconsider their assumptions.
Solution: ‘Why Are There Two Sexes?’
The mathematical concept of parity and the fatal flaw of serial multiplication can help explain why having two sexes usually works better than having one or three.
Black-Hole Hunter Takes Aim at Einstein
The astrophysicist Andrea Ghez spent two decades proving that a supermassive black hole anchors the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Her new plan? Test what happens when things get too close.