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Max Levy

Latest Articles

An Arctic Road Trip Brings Vital Underground Networks into View

A vast meshwork of soil-bound fungi governs life aboveground. In Alaska, and at field sites around the world, researchers are racing to understand exactly how, with essential stores of carbon at stake.

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New Advances Bring the Era of Quantum Computers Closer Than Ever

Two research groups say they have significantly reduced the amount of qubits and time required to crack common online security technologies.

A Through-The-Lens Look at the World’s Particle Physics Labs

The winning entries in the 2025 Global Physics Photowalk contest showcase the beauty of toil and discovery.

In Expanding de Sitter Space, Quantum Mechanics Gets Even More Elusive

The basic shape that best describes our expanding universe is also the hardest shape for physicists to understand.

When Coupled Volcanoes Talk, These Researchers Listen

Around the world, volcanologists are following the path of magma as it travels between connected volcanoes, in an effort that could lead to improved eruption forecasts.

In Math, Rigor Is Vital. But Are Digitized Proofs Taking It Too Far?

The quest to make mathematics rigorous has a long and spotty history — one mathematicians can learn from as they push to formalize everything in the computer program Lean.

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How Writing Changes Mathematical Thought

David E. Dunning explores how mathematical notation is a social, world-building technology.

Are Strings Still Our Best Hope for a Theory of Everything?

Columnist Natalie Wolchover examines the latest developments in the “forever war” over whether string theory can describe the world.

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Biggest Breakthroughs in Biology 2025

Chris Young/Quanta Magazine; Carlos Arrojo for Quanta Magazine

Special Features

The Joy of Why


Two cranes symmetrically poised with their beaks together below a full moon
00:00 / 46:07

Richard Prum explains why he thinks feathers and vibrant traits in birds evolved not solely for survival, but also through aesthetic choice.

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How Can Infinity Come in Many Sizes?

Intuition breaks down once we’re dealing with the endless. To begin with: Some infinities are bigger than others.

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Illuminating basic science and math research through public service journalism.

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