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Entanglement Made Simple
How quantum entanglement connects with the “many worlds” of quantum theory.
A Secret Flexibility Found in Life’s Blueprints
A new study reveals that individual genes can create many different versions of the molecular machinery that powers the cell.
The Evolutionary Argument Against Reality
The cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman believes that evolution and quantum mechanics conspire to make objective reality an illusion.
Physicists Hunt for the Big Bang’s Triangles
The story of the universe’s birth — and evidence for string theory — could be found in triangles and myriad other shapes in the sky.
Debate Intensifies Over Dark Disk Theory
In the new, free-for-all era of dark matter research, the controversial idea that dark matter is concentrated in thin disks is being rescued from scientific oblivion.
Mapping the Brain to Build Better Machines
A project to decipher the brain’s learning rules could revolutionize machine learning.
Why Sleeping Beauty Is Lost in Time
The famous Sleeping Beauty problem has divided probability theorists, decision theorists and philosophers for over 15 years. Puzzle columnist Pradeep Mutalik claims to have discovered the source of confusion.
Sphere Packing Solved in Higher Dimensions
The Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska has solved the centuries-old sphere-packing problem in dimensions eight and 24.
Is AlphaGo Really Such a Big Deal?
The Go-playing program teaches itself to replicate something very much like human intuition, an advance that promises far-reaching consequences.