Latest Articles
The Math That Promises to Make the World Brighter
The color of LED lights is controlled by a clumsy process. A new mathematical discovery may make it easier for us to get the hues we want.
Bacteria Use Brainlike Bursts of Electricity to Communicate
With electrical signals, simple cells organize themselves into complex societies and negotiate with other colonies.
Seeing Emergent Physics Behind Evolution
Nigel Goldenfeld applies the physics of condensed matter to understand how evolution sprinted for the earliest life — and then slowed down.
Quantum Theory Rebuilt From Simple Physical Principles
Physicists are trying to rewrite the axioms of quantum theory from scratch in an effort to understand what it all means. The problem? They’ve been almost too successful.
The Oldest Mini-Brains Have Lifelike Young Cells
"Organoid" brain tissue models grown in a lab for two years can help scientists study a critical period of development just before and after birth.
Jason Morgan Recalls Discovering Earth’s Tectonic Plates
Jason Morgan developed the theory of plate tectonics in 1967 while working among a critical mass of talented geophysicists at Princeton University.
For Astronomers, Neutron Star Merger Could Eclipse Eclipse
Even as the solar eclipse was mesmerizing millions, astronomers were training their space- and land-based telescopes on a far more violent astrophysical event.
Interspecies Hybrids Play a Vital Role in Evolution
Hybrids, once treated as biological misfits, play a vital role in the evolution of many animal species. Now conservationists are trying to reconcile that truth with policies.
A Physicist Who Models ISIS and the Alt-Right
The rise of new extremist groups has served as both an impetus and test-case for Neil Johnson’s models of terrorism and insurgency.