Archive

Latest Articles

Evolving With a Little Help From Our Friends

June 4, 2014

A new theory suggests that cooperation between a host and its microbes may be a significant evolutionary force.

Physicists Prove Surprising Rule of Threes

May 27, 2014

Three groups of experimentalists have independently observed a strange state of matter that forms from three particles of any type and at any scale, from practically infinitesimal to infinite.

Inside the Din, Cells Fight Noise With Noise

May 22, 2014

Is the random noise inside a cell a nuisance, or have cells evolved ways to put it to work?

Forging a Qubit to Rule Them All

May 15, 2014

A scientist at Bell Labs has started construction of a topological qubit, which could be the building block of a robust, scalable quantum computer.

In Bees, a Hunt for Roots of Social Behavior

May 6, 2014

By comparing the genomes of social and solitary bees, scientists hope to uncover the basis for communal behavior.

Decoding the Secrets of Superconductivity

April 30, 2014

Experimentalists have pinpointed the microscopic structure of waves inside high-temperature superconductors, which could be the key to understanding the complex materials.

Early Life in Death Valley

April 24, 2014

Evidence from Southwestern deserts suggests that oxygen-breathing organisms arose on land rather than in the seas.

Time’s Arrow Traced to Quantum Source

April 16, 2014

A new theory explains the seemingly irreversible arrow of time while yielding insights into entropy, quantum computers, black holes, and the past-future divide.

The Remarkable Self-Organization of Ants

April 9, 2014

Knowing the rules behind ant-made structures could help scientists understand how other complex systems emerge in nature.

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