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Abstractions blog

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Earth from space.
Abstractions blog

Global Wave Discovery Ends 220-Year Search

By Charlie Wood
August 13, 2020
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An 18th-century physicist first predicted the existence of a chorus of atmospheric waves that swoop around Earth. Scientists have finally found them.

Photo of 12 petri dishes holding brightly colored fungi.
Abstractions blog

‘Zombie’ Microbes Redefine Life’s Energy Limits

By Jordana Cepelewicz
August 12, 2020
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A new model shows that the denizens of a vast, ancient biome beneath the seafloor use barely enough energy to stay alive — and broadens understanding of what life can look like.

Photo of one of the Russian sturgeon-paddlefish hybrids called sturddlefish.
Abstractions blog

Extra DNA May Make Unlikely Hybrid Fish Possible

By Christie Wilcox
August 5, 2020
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The unintentional creation of “sturddlefish” hybrids may illuminate the genomic mechanisms that govern whether species can interbreed.

The cyclic universe.
Abstractions blog

Big Bounce Simulations Challenge the Big Bang

By Charlie Wood
August 4, 2020
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Detailed computer simulations have found that a cosmic contraction can generate features of the universe that we observe today.

Photo of green leafy plants in close-up.
Abstractions blog

Why Are Plants Green? To Reduce the Noise in Photosynthesis.

By Rodrigo Pérez Ortega
July 30, 2020
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Plants ignore the most energy-rich part of sunlight because stability matters more than efficiency, according to a new model of photosynthesis.

Abstractions blog

How Physics Found a Geometric Structure for Math to Play With

By Kevin Hartnett
July 29, 2020
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Symplectic geometry is a relatively new field with implications for much of modern mathematics. Here’s what it’s all about.

Center of the Milky Way
Abstractions blog

An Alternative to Dark Matter Passes Critical Test

By Charlie Wood
July 28, 2020
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Modified gravity theories have never been able to describe the universe’s first light. A new formulation does.

Visualization of the distribution of prime numbers in the shape of colorful dots in a hexagonal pattern
Abstractions blog

Mathematicians Will Never Stop Proving the Prime Number Theorem

By Susan D'Agostino
July 22, 2020
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Why do mathematicians enjoy proving the same results in different ways?

An ice sheet stretching into the distance.
Abstractions blog

How Earth’s Climate Changes Naturally (and Why Things Are Different Now)

By Howard Lee
July 21, 2020
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Earth’s climate has fluctuated through deep time, pushed by these 10 different causes. Here’s how each compares with modern climate change.


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