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A New Approach to Understanding How Machines Think
Neural networks are famously incomprehensible, so Been Kim is developing a “translator for humans.”
Missing Galaxies? Now There’s Too Many
Astronomers couldn’t find enough satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. Now they have the opposite problem.
Jellyfish Genome Hints That Complexity Isn’t Genetically Complex
Jellyfish didn’t need novel genes to take an evolutionary leap in complexity.
Why the Best Place to Find Dark Matter May Be in a Rock
Dark matter may occasionally interact with minerals in the earth, leaving telltale tracks that physicists hope to decipher.
How Space and Time Could Be a Quantum Error-Correcting Code
The same codes needed to thwart errors in quantum computers may also give the fabric of space-time its intrinsic robustness.
Ancient Turing Pattern Builds Feathers, Hair — and Now, Shark Skin
A primordial developmental toolkit shared by all vertebrates, and described by a theory of the mathematician Alan Turing, sets the growth pattern for all types of skin structures.
Quanta’s Science and Math Crossword Puzzle
Celebrate a year’s worth of scientific and mathematical insights by solving this brain-teasing cryptic crossword from our puzzle columnist.
The Year in Math and Computer Science
Several mathematicians under the age of 30 left their marks all over the field, and amateur problem-solvers of all ages made significant contributions to long-dormant puzzles.
The Year in Biology
Biologists gained new insights into life’s genomically tumultuous past, viruses as crucial components of life, the hidden talents of complex cells and basic aspects of cognition and memory.