Richard Prum explains why he thinks feathers and vibrant traits in birds evolved not solely for survival, but also through aesthetic choice.
Quanta Magazine | Science and Math News
Latest Articles
First Shape Found That Can’t Pass Through Itself
―
After more than three centuries, a geometry problem that originated with a royal bet has been solved.
The Game Theory of How Algorithms Can Drive Up Prices
Recent findings reveal that even simple pricing algorithms can make things more expensive.
How Soon Will the Seas Rise?
The uniquely vulnerable West Antarctic Ice Sheet holds enough water to raise global sea levels by 5 meters. But when that will happen — and how fast — is anything but settled.
How the Brain Moves From Waking Life to Sleep (and Back Again)
Neuroscientists probing the boundary between sleep and awareness are finding many types of liminal states, which help explain the sleep disorders that can result when sleep transitions go wrong.
The Hidden Math of Ocean Waves Crashes Into View
The math of even the simplest ocean waves is notoriously uncooperative. A team of Italian mathematicians has made major advances toward understanding it.
Genes Have Harnessed Physics to Help Grow Living Things
The same pulling force that causes “tears” in a glass of wine also shapes embryos. It’s another example of how genes exploit mechanical forces for growth and development.
Loops of DNA Equipped Ancient Life To Become Complex
New work shows that physical folding of the genome to control genes located far away may have been an early evolutionary development.
Origami Patterns Solve a Major Physics Riddle
The amplituhedron, a shape at the heart of particle physics, appears to be deeply connected to the mathematics of paper folding.
Featured Videos
See all videosIs Information a Fundamental Force of the Universe?
Christopher W. Young/Quanta Magazine
Special Features
Recommended Features
Multimedia
The Quantum Mechanics of Greenhouse Gases
Earth’s radiation can send some molecules spinning or vibrating, which is what makes them greenhouse gases. This infographic explains how relatively few heat-trapping molecules can have a planetary effect.
About Quanta Magazine
Illuminating basic science and math research through public service journalism.
More about usQuanta Magazine is committed to in-depth, accurate journalism that serves the public interest. Each article braids the complexities of science with the malleable art of storytelling and is meticulously reported, edited and fact-checked. Launched and funded by the Simons Foundation, Quanta is editorially independent — our articles do not reflect or represent the views of the foundation.
