Richard Prum explains why he thinks feathers and vibrant traits in birds evolved not solely for survival, but also through aesthetic choice.
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How the Brain Moves From Waking Life to Sleep (and Back Again)
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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.
Researchers Discover the Optimal Way To Optimize
The leading approach to the simplex method, a widely used technique for balancing complex logistical constraints, can’t get any better.
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.
How One AI Model Creates a Physical Intuition of Its Environment
The V-JEPA system uses ordinary videos to understand the physics of the real world.
A Thermometer for Measuring Quantumness
“Anomalous” heat flow, which at first appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics, gives physicists a way to detect quantum entanglement without destroying it.
How the Brain Balances Excitation and Inhibition
A healthy brain maintains a harmony of neurons that excite or inhibit other neurons, but the lines between different types of cells are blurrier than researchers once thought.
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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.
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