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An illustration with a black disc in the middle evoking a black hole.
mathematical physics

At Long Last, Mathematical Proof That Black Holes Are Stable

By Steve Nadis
August 4, 2022
Read Later

The solutions to Einstein’s equations that describe a spinning black hole won’t blow up, even when poked or prodded.

theoretical physics

Particle Physicists Puzzle Over a New Duality

By Katie McCormick
August 1, 2022
Read Later

A hidden link has been found between two seemingly unrelated particle collision outcomes. It’s the latest example of a mysterious web of mathematical connections between disparate theories of physics.

Flying butterflies overlaid with the cobwebby pattern of a logistic diagram.
mathematical biology

Hidden Chaos Found to Lurk in Ecosystems

By Joanna Thompson
July 27, 2022
Read Later

New research finds that chaos plays a bigger role in population dynamics than decades of ecological data seemed to suggest.

Image of a spiral galaxy strewn with ribbons of pink light.]
astronomy

Two Weeks In, the Webb Space Telescope Is Reshaping Astronomy

By Jonathan O'Callaghan
July 25, 2022
Read Later

In the days after the mega-telescope started delivering data, astronomers reported new discoveries about galaxies, stars, exoplanets and even Jupiter.

Red particles with varying spins and some entanglement
computational complexity

Computer Science Proof Unveils Unexpected Form of Entanglement

By Mordechai Rorvig
July 18, 2022
Read Later

Three computer scientists have posted a proof of the NLTS conjecture, showing that systems of entangled particles can remain difficult to analyze even away from extremes.

combinatorics

Hypergraphs Reveal Solution to 50-Year-Old Problem

By Leila Sloman
July 14, 2022
Read Later

In 1973, Paul Erdős asked if it was possible to assemble sets of “triples” — three points on a graph — so that they abide by two seemingly incompatible rules. A new proof shows it can always be done.

Video showing a ring of cells forming regularly spaced pits along its circumference.
developmental biology

Embryo Cells Set Patterns for Growth by Pushing and Pulling

By Monique Brouillette
July 12, 2022
Read Later

Patterns that guide the development of feathers and other features can be set by mechanical forces in the embryo, not just by gradients of chemicals.

An orange machine casts search lights over a purple landscape.
quantum computing

Quantum Algorithms Conquer a New Kind of Problem

By Mordechai Rorvig
July 11, 2022
Read Later

Computer scientists have found a new type of problem that quantum computers can solve dramatically faster than their classical counterparts.

Colorful opalized shell of a fossil ammonite.
geology

Life Helps Make Almost Half of Earth’s Minerals

By Joanna Thompson
July 1, 2022
Read Later

A new origins-based system for classifying minerals reveals the huge geochemical imprint that life has left on Earth. It could help us identify other worlds with life too.


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