Explainers

A growing catalog of huge but dim galaxies such as Dragonfly 44 is forcing astronomers to invent new theories of galactic evolution.

Zero-knowledge proofs allow researchers to prove their knowledge without divulging the knowledge itself.

Even though we’ve learned a lot about this relative of smallpox, some mysteries remain due to a lack of political will.

A simple geometric idea has been used to power advances in information theory, cryptography and even blockchain technology.

Robots can surpass the limitations on how high and far animals can jump, but their success only underscores nature’s ingenuity in making the most of what’s available.

What’s a message, really? Claude Shannon recognized that the elemental ingredient is surprise.

Quantum computers may derive their power from the “magical” way that properties of particles change depending on the context.

Why verify every line of a proof, when just a few checks will do?

Several projects are aiming to bring back mammoths and other species that have vanished from the planet. Whether that’s technically possible is beside the point.