Dave Whyte for Quanta Magazine
Three high schoolers and their mentor revisited a century-old theorem to prove that all knots can be found in a fractal called the Menger sponge.
Our computers can get a lot more done when they share the load with other machines.
The reference frames from which observers view quantum events can themselves have multiple possible locations at once — an insight with potentially major ramifications.
The clearest picture yet of our “last universal common ancestor” suggests it was a relatively complex organism living 4.2 billion years ago, a time long considered too harsh for life to flourish.
The mathematician David Bessis claims that everyone is capable of, and can benefit greatly from, mathematical thinking.
Wherever astronomers look, they see life’s raw materials.
Two mathematicians have renewed a debate about the fundamental nature of some of math’s most important equations.
How do we know if a large language model is lying? Letting AI systems argue with each other may help expose the truth.
Emily Buder/Quanta Magazine
These three imagined scenarios lead many physicists to doubt that space-time is fundamental.
We often consider spoken language to be a feature that distinguishes humans from other forms of animal life. Brain research, however, suggests that other creatures — including certain birds — share some of our neural circuitry related to language. In this episode, co-host Janna Levin explores the origins and underlying mechanisms of human speech and birdsong with neurobiologist and geneticist Erich Jarvis.
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.
