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The Mathematics of Juggling

May 24, 2017

Juggling has advanced enormously in recent decades, thanks in part to the mathematical study of possible patterns.

The Thoughts of a Spiderweb

May 23, 2017

Spiders appear to offload cognitive tasks to their webs, making them one of a number of species with a mind that isn’t fully confined within the head.

Discoveries Fuel Fight Over Universe’s First Light

May 19, 2017

A series of observations at the very edge of the universe has reignited a debate over what lifted the primordial cosmic fog.

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A Defense of the Reality of Time

May 16, 2017

Time isn’t just another dimension, argues Tim Maudlin. To make his case, he’s had to reinvent geometry.

Why Quantum Computers Might Not Break Cryptography

May 15, 2017

A new paper claims that a common digital security system could be tweaked to withstand attacks even from a powerful quantum computer.

Can Darwinian Evolution Explain Lamarckism?

May 11, 2017

Answering three questions can help reveal how the “inheritance of acquired characteristics” fits into modern evolutionary theory.

Exoplanet Puzzle Cracked by Jazz Musicians

May 10, 2017

A system of seven Earth-like exoplanets appeared to be unstable. Now their orbits have been rewritten in the music of the spheres.

How Heat Kills Cells

May 9, 2017

The proteins that unravel as the temperature starts to rise turn out to be among the most vital.

Swirling Bacteria Linked to the Physics of Phase Transitions

May 4, 2017

The new experiments suggest that simple models can explain the behavior of thousands of interacting organisms.

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