Francescuccio Ghissi; Courtesy of Emily Kowalski/North Carolina Museum of Art
The reconstructed St. John Altarpiece by Francescuccio Ghissi.
The author shows how new mathematical techniques can be used to revitalize a 650-year-old work of art.
A camera lens often used by wildlife and sports photographers has helped astronomers learn about dark matter and galaxy formation.
Insights about time’s arrow from a liquid crystal universe.
The Strange Second Life of String Theory
String theory has so far failed to live up to its promise as a way to unite gravity and quantum mechanics. At the same time, it has blossomed into one of the most useful sets of tools in science.
A Seeker of Dark Matter’s Hidden Light
The physicist Tracy Slatyer is searching for faint wisps of dark matter annihilating in the early universe — and perhaps in hiding places closer to home.
The Neuroscience Behind Bad Decisions
Irrationality may be a consequence of the brain’s ravenous energy needs.
Strange Dark Galaxy Puzzles Astrophysicists
The surprising discovery of a massive, Milky Way-size galaxy that is made of 99.99 percent dark matter has astronomers dreaming up new ideas about how galaxies form.
Watching Evolution Happen in Two Lifetimes
The biologists Rosemary and Peter Grant have spent four decades on a tiny island in the Galápagos. Their discoveries reveal how new animal species can emerge in just a few generations.
Hacker-Proof Code Confirmed
Computer scientists can prove certain programs to be error-free with the same certainty that mathematicians prove theorems.