Explainers
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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Space-Time: The Biggest Problem in Physics
Decoding Math’s Most Famous Fractal
P vs. NP – The Greatest Unsolved Problem in Computer Science
Math’s Famous Map Problem: The Four-Color Theorem
Could One Physics Theory Unlock the Mysteries of the Brain?
The Biggest Project in Modern Mathematics
How NASA’s Webb Telescope Will Transform Our Place in the Universe
The Standard Model: The Most Successful Scientific Theory Ever
Quantum Computers, Explained With Quantum Physics
Black Hole Jets: Unraveling One of the Biggest Mysteries in the Universe
Iceland Is a Portal to Mars
Why COVID-19 Models Don’t Predict the Future
The Riemann Hypothesis, Explained
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Liz MacDonald discusses what more people should know about the auroras.
James Maynard Solves the Hardest Easy Math Problems
James Maynard talks about why he’s obsessed with prime numbers.
Katie Mack Knows How It’s All Going to End
Katie Mack describes the most likely scenario for the end of the universe.
Epidemiologist Tara Smith Answers Coronavirus Questions
Highlights from Tara C. Smith’s live YouTube event on May 1, 2020, in which she answered reader questions about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pincelli Hull Explains What Killed Off the Dinosaurs
Evidence from the oceans decisively shows that an asteroid strike caused the last mass extinction, argues Pincelli Hull. The cataclysm continues to hold lessons for today.
Ronald Rivest on Building Better Elections
Ronald Rivest of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology describes the role of computers in voting and what makes elections trustworthy.
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Omololu Akin-Ojo: Doing Cutting-Edge Physics in Africa
Omololu Akin-Ojo of the East African Institute for Fundamental Research discusses his plans to invigorate theoretical physics in Africa, including by focusing on problems related to energy and water that will especially impact the continent.
Nobel Laureate James P. Allison on the Origins of His Cancer Immunotherapy Research
James P. Allison of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses what initially drew him to immunology as a field and why many scientists used to be skeptical that an immunological strategy for killing cancers would work.
Scarlett Howard on the Lessons of Teaching Bees Math
Scarlett Howard describes how and why she taught honeybees math.