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Juan Maldacena, Pondering Quantum Gravity by the Pond
One of the world’s preeminent theoretical physicists seeks a quiet place to think.
Moonlighting Genes Evolve for a Venomous Job
An unexpected mechanism allows wasps to rapidly co-opt genes for new toxic functions.
Researchers Check Space-Time to See if It’s Made of Quantum Bits
The newly developed theory of emergent gravity, proposed as an alternative to dark matter, struggles in one of its first trials.
Where Gravity Is Weak and Naked Singularities Are Verboten
Recent calculations tie together two conjectures about gravity, potentially revealing new truths about its elusive quantum nature.
Roberto Peccei and Helen Quinn, Driving Around Stanford in a Clunky Jeep
The two physicists who introduced Peccei-Quinn symmetry came up with their idea on and around Stanford University’s campus 40 years ago.
Rainer Weiss, Remembering the Little Room in the Plywood Palace
The physicist who designed the LIGO experiment that detected gravitational waves still holes up in a small basement lab surrounded by electronics and optical instruments.
Yitang Zhang’s Santa Barbara Beach Walk
An obscure number theorist who became an overnight sensation with a major proof about the gaps between prime numbers now finds quiet inspiration walking along the Pacific Coast.
The Thorny Truth About Spine Evolution
A definitive explanation for why plants evolved spines remains elusive, and human biases compound the problem.
How Superfluid Dark Matter Mimics an Old Idea About Gravity
Does the force of gravity change at large scales? Perhaps not, but a new theory of dark matter shows why that could appear to be the case.