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Quanta Magazine | Science and Math News

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topology

Mathematicians Eliminate Long-Standing Threat to Knot Conjecture

By Leila Sloman
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A new proof shows that a knot some thought would contradict the famed slice-ribbon conjecture doesn’t.

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By Leila Sloman
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artificial intelligence

Machines Learn Better if We Teach Them the Basics

By Max G. Levy
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A wave of research improves reinforcement learning algorithms by pre-training them as if they were human.

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When Does the Brain Operate at Peak Performance?

By John M. Beggs
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The critical brain hypothesis suggests that neural networks do their best work when connections are not too weak or too strong.

A graphical illustration showing a number of well-known stars in the present-day universe, along with the edge of a far bigger star.
astronomy

Astronomers Say They Have Spotted the Universe’s First Stars

By Jonathan O'Callaghan
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Theory has it that “Population III” stars brought light to the cosmos. The James Webb Space Telescope may have just glimpsed them.

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quantum physics

How Quantum Physicists ‘Flipped Time’ (and How They Didn’t)

By Charlie Wood
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Two teams have made photons act as if time were simultaneously flowing in two directions. The experiments demonstrate a way to potentially boost the performance of quantum devices.

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High-Temperature Superconductivity Understood at Last
By Charlie Wood
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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.

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Q&A

The Computer Scientist Who Finds Life Lessons in Games

By Ben Brubaker
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A sad woman stands under an umbrella that is decorated with images of brains, molecules and DNA. Rain falls on her under the umbrella but the day is otherwise clear.
neuroscience

The Cause of Depression Is Probably Not What You Think

By Joanna Thompson
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Depression has often been blamed on low levels of serotonin in the brain. That answer is insufficient, but alternatives are coming into view and changing our understanding of the disease.

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mathematical physics

Mathematicians Find an Infinity of Possible Black Hole Shapes

By Steve Nadis
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In three-dimensional space, the surface of a black hole must be a sphere. But a new result shows that in higher dimensions, an infinite number of configurations are possible.

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Quantized Academy

The Basic Algebra Behind Secret Codes and Space Communication

By Patrick Honner
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Whether you’re passing secret notes in class or downloading images from a space probe, Reed-Solomon codes offer an ingenious way to embed information and correct for errors.

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Why Mathematicians Study Knots

By David S. Richeson
Seifert surfaces formed from closed loops.

Surfaces So Different Even a Fourth Dimension Can’t Make Them the Same

By Kevin Hartnett

How Complex Is a Knot? New Proof Reveals Ranking System That Works.

By Leila Sloman

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Puzzle

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Insights puzzle
The Math Behind Wordle Guesses
By Pradeep Mutalik
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Wordle is a word game. But you can use math to optimize your chances of winning (without cheating).


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The Joy of Why

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Computers doing mathematics.

Can Computers Be Mathematicians?

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Artificial intelligence has bested humans at problem-solving challenges like chess and Go. Is mathematics research next? Steven Strogatz speaks with mathematician Kevin Buzzard to learn about the effort to translate math into language that computers understand.


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About Quanta Magazine

Illuminating basic science and math research through public service journalism.

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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.

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