Explainers

Birkar discusses the need for originality in mathematics and in life.

Figalli explains how physical intuition can play a key role — but not the only role — in mathematical thinking.

Cohl Furey explains what octonions are and what they might have to do with particle physics.

Jessica Whited is a biologist who studies limb regeneration at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Here, she explains how genomic information for the salamander called an axolotl will help us understand the potential for regrowing limbs in humans and other animals.

Carina Curto, a mathematician at Pennsylvania State University, explains how her background in theoretical physics helps her tackle daunting problems in theoretical neuroscience.

Lisa Manning, a physicist at Syracuse University, describes how the physics of glassy materials helps to explain how some organs assume their correct shape during embryonic development.

Michela Massimi argues that the philosophy of science doesn’t have to be useful to scientists for it to be useful to humanity.

Donald Richards discusses the statistical rule-of-thumb he wishes everyone knew.

Günter Ziegler describes one of the most famous and beautiful proofs in Proofs From THE BOOK, a book he co-authored with Martin Aigner.