Steven Strogatz explores the mysteries of knots with the mathematicians Colin Adams and Lisa Piccirillo.
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Karsten Möbius
Nobel Prize
Geneticist Awarded Nobel Prize for Studies of Extinct Human Ancestors
Svante Pääbo has been awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for studying our extinct ancestors’ DNA.
Quantized Columns
What We Know About Monkeypox
Even though we’ve learned a lot about this relative of smallpox, some mysteries remain due to a lack of political will.
synthetic biology
Biologists Use Genetic Circuits to Program Plant Roots
Using inserted genetic circuitry, synthetic biologists controlled the growth of plant roots for the first time.
Quantized Academy
How Big Is Infinity?
Of all the endless questions children and mathematicians have asked about infinity, one of the most fascinating has to do with its size.
geometry
The New Math of Wrinkling
A comprehensive mathematical framework treats wrinkling patterns as elegant solutions to geometric problems.
condensed matter physics
High-Temperature Superconductivity Understood at Last
A new atomic-scale experiment all but settles the origin of the strong form of superconductivity seen in cuprate crystals, confirming a 35-year-old theory.
mathematical biology
How Do Fireflies Flash in Sync? Studies Suggest a New Answer.
Field research suggests a new explanation for the synchronized flashing in fireflies and confirms that a novel form of “chimeric” synchrony occurs naturally.
information theory
How Mathematical Curves Enable Advanced Communication
A simple geometric idea has been used to power advances in information theory, cryptography and even blockchain technology.
Quanta Podcast
More episodes
Researchers Achieve ‘Absurdly Fast’ Algorithm for Network Flow
Computer scientists can now solve a decades-old problem in practically the time it takes to write it down.
Puzzle
More puzzles
Insights puzzle
How Star Trek’s Lieutenant Uhura Overcame Astronomical Odds
Readers rescued a Star Trek crew from a probabilistic predicament armed only with the power of mathematical reasoning.
About Quanta Magazine
Illuminating basic science and math research through public service journalism.
More about usQuanta 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.
