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Joseph Howlett

Staff Writer

Latest Articles

The Hidden Math of Ocean Waves Crashes Into View

October 15, 2025

The math of even the simplest ocean waves is notoriously uncooperative. A team of Italian mathematicians has made major advances toward understanding it.

New Math Revives Geometry’s Oldest Problems

September 26, 2025

Using a relatively young theory, a team of mathematicians has started to answer questions whose roots lie at the very beginning of mathematics.

How We Came To Know Earth

Climate science is the most significant scientific collaboration in history. This series from Quanta Magazine guides you through basic climate science — from quantum effects to ancient hothouses, from the math of tipping points to the audacity of climate models.

The Climate Change Paradox

September 15, 2025

Earth’s climate is chaotic and volatile. Climate change is simple and predictable. How can both be true?

The Quantum Mechanics of Greenhouse Gases

September 15, 2025

Earth’s radiation can send some molecules spinning or vibrating, which is what makes them greenhouse gases. This infographic explains how relatively few heat-trapping molecules can have a planetary effect.

‘Ten Martini’ Proof Uses Number Theory to Explain Quantum Fractals

August 25, 2025

The proof, known to be so hard that a mathematician once offered 10 martinis to whoever could figure it out, connects quantum mechanics to infinitely intricate mathematical structures.

New Sphere-Packing Record Stems From an Unexpected Source

July 7, 2025

After just a few months of work, a complete newcomer to the world of sphere packing has solved one of its biggest open problems.

The Core of Fermat’s Last Theorem Just Got Superpowered

June 2, 2025

By extending the scope of the key insight behind Fermat’s Last Theorem, four mathematicians have made great strides toward building a “grand unified theory” of math.

New ‘Superdiffusion’ Proof Probes the Mysterious Math of Turbulence

May 16, 2025

Turbulence is a notoriously difficult phenomenon to study. Mathematicians are now starting to untangle it at its smallest scales.

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