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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Meet One of NASA’s Pioneering Women
Christine Darden describes what it was like working at NASA in the 1960s and how she became an authority on minimizing sonic booms.
What Makes Physics Beautiful, According to a Nobel Prize Winner
Frank Wilczek discusses the work that led to his Nobel and the inherent beauty of physical law.
The Riemann Hypothesis, Explained
Alex Kontorovich, professor of mathematics at Rutgers University, breaks down the notoriously difficult Riemann hypothesis in this comprehensive explainer.
2020’s Biggest Breakthroughs in Biology
In 2020, the study of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was undoubtedly the most urgent priority. But there were also other major breakthroughs in the life sciences.
2020’s Biggest Breakthroughs in Math and Computer Science
For mathematicians and computer scientists, 2020 was full of discipline-spanning discoveries and celebrations of creativity.
2020’s Biggest Breakthroughs in Physics
This year, two teams of physicists made profound progress on ideas that could bring about the next revolution in physics. Another has identified the source of a longstanding cosmic mystery.
New Clues in the Age-Old Question of the ‘Male’ and ‘Female’ Brain
Catherine Dulac of Harvard University discusses the roots of “male” and “female” parenting behaviors in mammalian brains.
This Computer Scientist’s Streaming Algorithms Shrink Big Data
Jelani Nelson explains how his streaming algorithms answer questions about big data without having to remember everything they’ve seen.
Inside Dynamical Systems and the Mathematics of Change
Bryna Kra explains how to describe complex systems in symbols.