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A collage of illustrations of volcanoes erupting or dormant, in a variety of styles, including in cross-section.

Celcius Pictor for Quanta Magazine

Latest Articles

Will We Ever Be Able To Forecast Volcanic Eruptions Like Weather?

It should be possible, but getting there will require a greater understanding of subsurface physics.

What Causes Lightning? The Answer Keeps Getting More Interesting.

Armed with a slew of new instruments, physicists are closing in on one of nature’s oldest mysteries — and finding that storm clouds are seething with violent and unexpected phenomena.

The Hidden Mathematical Dance Inside Plant Cells

The sunlight-collecting organelles known as chloroplasts solve a packing problem: how to optimize photosynthesis without sustaining damage from dangerously intense rays.

A Treasure Trove of Cambrian Fossils Rewrites the Story of Early Life

Remarkably preserved fossils found in southern China offer a fascinating window into what life looked like at the end of the Cambrian explosion, with half of the species uncovered being new to science.

What Can We Gain by Losing Infinity?

Ultrafinitism, a philosophy that rejects the infinite, has long been dismissed as mathematical heresy. But it is also producing new insights in math and beyond.

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Biggest Breakthroughs in Biology 2025

Chris Young/Quanta Magazine; Carlos Arrojo for Quanta Magazine

Special Features

The Joy of Why


Two cranes symmetrically poised with their beaks together below a full moon
00:00 / 46:07

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 Can Infinity Come in Many Sizes?

Intuition breaks down once we’re dealing with the endless. To begin with: Some infinities are bigger than others.

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Illuminating basic science and math research through public service journalism.

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Quanta 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.

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