Archive
Q&A
A Biochemist’s View of Life’s Origin Reframes Cancer and Aging
The biochemist Nick Lane thinks life first evolved in hydrothermal vents where precursors of metabolism appeared before genetic information. His ideas could lead us to think differently about aging and cancer.
mathematical physics
At Long Last, Mathematical Proof That Black Holes Are Stable
The solutions to Einstein’s equations that describe a spinning black hole won’t blow up, even when poked or prodded.
biophysics
Geometric Analysis Reveals How Birds Mastered Flight
Partnerships between engineers and biologists have begun to reveal how birds evolved their superb maneuverability.
Q&A
The Computer Scientist Challenging AI to Learn Better
Christopher Kanan is building algorithms that can continuously learn over time — the way we do.
theoretical physics
Particle Physicists Puzzle Over a New Duality
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.
Insights puzzle
Seeking Mathematical Truth in Counterfeit Coin Puzzles
Readers balanced logical reasoning and mathematical insights to find phony coins with a double-pan balance scale.
Quantized Columns
Neuronal Scaffolding Plays Unexpected Role in Pain
Perineuronal nets, rigid structures that hold certain neurons in place, affect a surprising amount of brain activity, including some associated with chronic pain.
The Joy of Why
Why Do We Get Old, and Can Aging Be Reversed?
Everybody gets older, but not everyone ages in the same way. In this episode, Steven Strogatz speaks with Judith Campisi and Dena Dubal, two biomedical researchers who study the aging process.
mathematical biology
Hidden Chaos Found to Lurk in Ecosystems
New research finds that chaos plays a bigger role in population dynamics than decades of ecological data seemed to suggest.