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New Math Revives Geometry’s Oldest Problems
Using a relatively young theory, a team of mathematicians has started to answer questions whose roots lie at the very beginning of mathematics.
To Understand AI, Watch How It Evolves
Naomi Saphra thinks that most research into language models focuses too much on the finished product. She’s mining the history of their training for insights into why these systems work the way they do.
A Simple Way To Measure Knots Has Come Unraveled
Two mathematicians have proved that a straightforward question — how hard is it to untie a knot? — has a complicated answer.
How We Came To Know Earth
Climate science is the most significant scientific collaboration in history. This series from Quanta Magazine guides you through basic climate science — from quantum effects to ancient hothouses, from the math of tipping points to the audacity of climate models.
The Ends of the Earth
Building an accurate model of Earth’s climate requires a lot of data. Photography reveals the extreme efforts scientists have undertaken to measure gases, glaciers, clouds and more.
The Climate Change Paradox
Earth’s climate is chaotic and volatile. Climate change is simple and predictable. How can both be true?
The Quantum Mechanics of Greenhouse Gases
Earth’s radiation can send some molecules spinning or vibrating, which is what makes them greenhouse gases. This infographic explains how relatively few heat-trapping molecules can have a planetary effect.
How Climate Scientists Saw the Future Before It Arrived
Over the past 60 years, scientists have largely succeeded in building a computer model of Earth to see what the future holds. One of the most ambitious projects humankind has ever undertaken has now reached a critical moment.
A Biography of Earth Across the Age of Animals
New reconstructions of 540 million years of climate history show the planet tumbling between icehouse and hothouse states, revealing how rare and vulnerable our temperate moment is.