Latest Articles

The Math That Promises to Make the World Brighter

September 6, 2017

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

September 5, 2017

With electrical signals, simple cells organize themselves into complex societies and negotiate with other colonies.

Q&A

Seeing Emergent Physics Behind Evolution

August 31, 2017

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

August 30, 2017

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

August 29, 2017

"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

August 28, 2017

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

August 25, 2017

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

August 24, 2017

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.

Q&A

A Physicist Who Models ISIS and the Alt-Right

August 23, 2017

The rise of new extremist groups has served as both an impetus and test-case for Neil Johnson’s models of terrorism and insurgency.

Get highlights of the most important news delivered to your email inbox