Latest Articles
Air Traffic Control for Random Surfaces
Mathematicians have had a hard time finding commonalities in large groups of random shapes — until recently.
Miranda Cheng: A Moonshine Master Toys With String Theory
Miranda Cheng explains what umbral moonshine is and how it might illuminate string theory.
Hope That an Old Drug Might Treat Zika
Scientists are having a difficult time finding a treatment for the Zika virus in part because so few drugs are safe for pregnant women. But one antibiotic has shown promise.
How Does Life Come From Randomness?
David Kaplan explains how the law of increasing entropy could drive random bits of matter into the stable, orderly structures of life.
Handicapping the 2018 Fields Medal
Peter Scholze is a favorite to win one of the highest honors in mathematics for his contributions in number theory and geometry.
How to Grow Metal-Eating Microbes
Metal-eating microbes get energy from rocks and could teach us about life on other worlds — but first scientists had to learn how to grow them in the lab.
Have Physicists Discovered a New Boson?
A group of little-known Hungarian physicists claim to have found a new fundamental particle. Now other researchers are raising questions about the team’s past work.
Suchitra Sebastian: An Explorer of Quantum Borderlands
Suchitra Sebastian talks about how extreme conditions can create unexpected quantum behavior.
Ken Ono: A Life Inspired by an Unexpected Genius
Ken Ono explains how Ramanujan has served as his “guardian angel” throughout his life and career.