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Jason Morgan Recalls Discovering Earth’s Tectonic Plates

August 28, 2017

Jason Morgan developed the theory of plate tectonics in 1967 while working among a critical mass of talented geophysicists at Princeton University.

For Astronomers, Neutron Star Merger Could Eclipse Eclipse

August 25, 2017

Even as the solar eclipse was mesmerizing millions, astronomers were training their space- and land-based telescopes on a far more violent astrophysical event.

Interspecies Hybrids Play a Vital Role in Evolution

August 24, 2017

Hybrids, once treated as biological misfits, play a vital role in the evolution of many animal species. Now conservationists are trying to reconcile that truth with policies.

Q&A

A Physicist Who Models ISIS and the Alt-Right

August 23, 2017

The rise of new extremist groups has served as both an impetus and test-case for Neil Johnson’s models of terrorism and insurgency.

Mathematicians Tame Rogue Waves, Lighting Up Future of LEDs

August 22, 2017

The mathematician Svitlana Mayboroda and collaborators have figured out how to predict the behavior of electrons — a mathematical discovery that could have immediate practical effects.

Janet Conrad, Seeker of Neutrinos and Other Curiosities

August 21, 2017

The physicist and curios collector hopes to reveal the hidden structure lurking in the subatomic world.

Symmetry, Algebra and the Monster

August 17, 2017

To begin to understand what mathematicians and physicists see in the abstract structures of symmetries, let’s start with a familiar shape.

Beating the Odds for Lucky Mutations

August 16, 2017

If DNA repair makes useful mutations more likely, it could accelerate cells’ adaptations to harsh environments.

Why Mathematicians Like to Classify Things

August 15, 2017

It’s “a definitive study for all time, like writing the final book,” says one researcher who’s mapping out new classes of geometric structures.