Richard Prum explains why he thinks feathers and vibrant traits in birds evolved not solely for survival, but also through aesthetic choice.
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Expansion Microscopy Has Transformed How We See the Cellular World
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How physically magnifying objects using a key ingredient in diapers has opened an unprecedented view of the microbial world.
How Modern and Antique Technologies Reveal a Dynamic Cosmos
Today’s observatories document every pulse and flash in the sky each night. To understand how the cosmos has changed over longer periods, scientists rely on a more tactile technology.
Once Thought To Support Neurons, Astrocytes Turn Out To Be in Charge
New experiments reveal how astrocytes tune neuronal activity to modulate our mental and emotional states. The results suggest that neuron-only brain models, such as connectomes, leave out a crucial layer of regulation.
Networks Hold the Key to a Decades-Old Problem About Waves
Mathematicians are still trying to understand fundamental properties of the Fourier transform, one of their most ubiquitous and powerful tools. A new result marks an exciting advance toward that goal.
Is Particle Physics Dead, Dying, or Just Hard?
Columnist Natalie Wolchover checks in with particle physicists more than a decade after the field entered a profound crisis.
How Animals Build a Sense of Direction
Researchers recorded the neurons that shape directional navigation as bats explored a remote island off the coast of Tanzania.
Two Twisty Shapes Resolve a Centuries-Old Topology Puzzle
The Bonnet problem asks when just a bit of information is enough to uniquely identify a whole surface.
Why There’s No Single Best Way To Store Information
The math of data structures helps us understand how different storage systems come with different trade-offs between resources such as time and memory.
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See all videosThe Biggest Breakthroughs in Mathematics: 2025
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The Quantum Mechanics of Greenhouse Gases
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