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Juan Maldacena, Pondering Quantum Gravity by the Pond

June 23, 2017

One of the world’s preeminent theoretical physicists seeks a quiet place to think.

Moonlighting Genes Evolve for a Venomous Job

June 22, 2017

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

June 21, 2017

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

June 20, 2017

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

June 15, 2017

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

June 15, 2017

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

June 15, 2017

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

June 14, 2017

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

June 13, 2017

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.

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