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Space-Time: The Biggest Problem in Physics

What is the deepest level of reality? In this Quanta explainer, Vijay Balasubramanian, a physicist at the University of Pennsylvania, takes us on a journey through space-time to investigate what it’s made of, why it’s failing us, and where physics can go next.


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Been Kim: A New Approach to Understanding How Machines Think

January 10, 2019

Google Brain’s Been Kim is building ways to let us interrogate the decisions made by machine learning systems.

What Is Emergence?

December 20, 2018

How do extraordinarily complex emergent phenomena — like ants assembling themselves into living bridges, or tiny water and air molecules forming into swirling hurricanes — spontaneously arise from systems of much simpler elements? The answer often depends on a transition in the interplay between the elements that resembles a phase change.

Meenakshi Wadhwa on Meteorites and the Solar System

December 13, 2018

Meenakshi Wadhwa explains how meteorites illuminate the origins of Earth and the rest of the solar system.

Martin Rees on the Future of Science and Humanity

December 5, 2018

Martin Rees, the University of Cambridge astrophysicist, Astronomer Royal and popular author, discusses how our society can benefit from future science and technology while avoiding potential pitfalls.

Quanta Writers and Editors on Time, Life, Math and the Universe

November 28, 2018

On November 16, more than 200 readers joined writers and editors from Quanta Magazine for a panel discussion exploring the latest ideas in fundamental physics, biology and mathematics research.

Why Different Parts of a Coffee Mug Produce Different Pitches

November 27, 2018

The Stanford mathematician Tadashi Tokieda demonstrates one of his physics “toys”: the curious higher and lower notes you hear when tapping a coffee mug with a spoon.

Albert Einstein, Holograms and Quantum Gravity

November 14, 2018

How does gravity work in the quantum regime? A holographic duality from string theory offers a powerful tool for unraveling the mystery.

Valeria Pettorino on Learning About Dark Energy With the Euclid Satellite

November 13, 2018

Valeria Pettorino discusses the prospects of learning about dark energy with the Euclid satellite.

Mario Jurić on How Astronomy Is Changing

October 24, 2018

Mario Jurić explains how the nature of what it means to be an astronomer is changing.