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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Latest Articles
The Polyglot Neuroscientist Resolving How the Brain Parses Language
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Is language core to thought, or a separate process? For 15 years, the neuroscientist Ev Fedorenko has gathered evidence of a language network in the human brain — and has found some parallels to LLMs.
What Are Lie Groups?
By combining the language of groups with that of geometry and linear algebra, Marius Sophus Lie created one of math’s most powerful tools.
‘Reverse Mathematics’ Illuminates Why Hard Problems Are Hard
Researchers have used metamathematical techniques to show that certain theorems that look superficially distinct are in fact logically equivalent.
Particle Physicists Detect ‘Magic’ at the Large Hadron Collider
The supercollider is now being used to explore quantum phenomena, including a “magic” form of quantum entanglement.
A Cell So Minimal That It Challenges Definitions of Life
The newly described microbe represents a world of parasitic, intercellular biodiversity only beginning to be revealed by genome sequencing.
Cosmic Paradox Reveals the Awful Consequence of an Observer-Free Universe
Encouraged by successes in understanding black holes, theoretical physicists are applying what they’ve learned to whole universes. What they’re finding has them questioning fundamental assumptions about how physics ought to be done.
Old ‘Ghost’ Theory of Quantum Gravity Makes a Comeback
Has the secret to understanding gravity been hiding in plain sight for nearly 50 years?
Mixing Is the Heartbeat of Deep Lakes. At Crater Lake, It’s Slowing Down.
The physics of mixing water layers — an interplay of wind, climate and more — makes lakes work. When it stops, impacts can ripple across an ecosystem.
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The Quantum Mechanics of Greenhouse Gases
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.
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Illuminating basic science and math research through public service journalism.
More about usQuanta Magazine is committed to in-depth, accurate journalism that serves the public interest. Each article braids the complexities of science with the malleable art of storytelling and is meticulously reported, edited and fact-checked. Launched and funded by the Simons Foundation, Quanta is editorially independent — our articles do not reflect or represent the views of the foundation.
