Roni Rekomaa for Quanta Magazine
Kaisa Matomäki has proved that properties of prime numbers over long intervals hold over short intervals as well. The techniques she uses have transformed the study of these elusive numbers.
Mathematical insights into how RNA helps viruses pull together their protein shells could guide future studies of viral behavior and function.
John Nash’s notion of equilibrium is ubiquitous in economic theory, but a new study shows that it is often impossible to reach efficiently.
Sex might help natural selection purge excessive mistakes from our genes.
A French mathematician has completed the classification of all convex pentagons, and therefore all convex polygons, that tile the plane.
Daily bike rides, serendipitous interactions and long periods of solo thinking inspire this string cosmologist.
Asexual reproduction can produce twice as many offspring as sexual reproduction without the hassle of finding and courting a mate. So why do most complex animals have two sexes? Why not three?
Quanta Magazine is committed to in-depth, accurate journalism that serves the public interest. Each article braids the complexities of science with the malleable art of storytelling and is meticulously reported, edited and fact-checked. Launched and funded by the Simons Foundation, Quanta is editorially independent — our articles do not reflect or represent the views of the foundation.
