Joseph Howlett

Staff Writer

Latest Articles

Mathematicians Uncover a New Way to Count Prime Numbers

December 11, 2024

To make progress on one of number theory’s most elementary questions, two mathematicians turned to an unlikely source.

New Elliptic Curve Breaks 18-Year-Old Record

November 11, 2024

Two mathematicians have renewed a debate about the fundamental nature of some of math’s most important equations.

The #1 Clue to Quantum Gravity Sits on the Surfaces of Black Holes

September 25, 2024

A black hole formula worked out in the 1970s remains the most concrete clue physicists have about the threads of the space-time fabric.

The Unraveling of Space-Time

This special issue of Quanta Magazine explores the ultimate scientific quest: the search for the fundamental nature of reality.

The First Nuclear Clock Will Test if Fundamental Constants Change

September 4, 2024

An ultra-precise measurement of a transition in the hearts of thorium atoms gives physicists a tool to probe the forces that bind the universe.

The Geometric Tool That Solved Einstein’s Relativity Problem

August 12, 2024

Tensors are used all over math and science to reveal hidden geometric truths. What are they?

Physicists Pinpoint the Quantum Origin of the Greenhouse Effect

August 7, 2024

Carbon dioxide’s powerful heat-trapping effect has been traced to a quirk of its quantum structure. The finding may explain climate change better than any computer model.

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