Q&A

To tame urban traffic, the computer scientist Carlos Gershenson finds that letting transportation systems adapt and self-organize often works better than trying to predict and control them.

Emily Riehl is rewriting the foundations of higher category theory while also working to make mathematics more inclusive.

Claudia de Rham showed how theories of “massive gravity” could potentially get rid of the need for dark energy.

John Priscu’s search for life that thrives under ice took him to subglacial lakes at the South Pole. Now he has his eye on Mars and Europa.

Liz MacDonald realized that if she wanted to create the world’s best aurora map, she needed a secret ingredient: Twitter.

The astrophysicist and social media phenom Katie Mack is ready to tell you about the fate of the universe.

For pioneering computer scientist Donald Knuth, good coding is synonymous with beautiful expression.

The paleontologist Pincelli Hull has nailed down the timing and speed of the extinction that killed off the dinosaurs — details that carry ominous warnings for today.

Ronald Rivest helped come up with the RSA algorithm, which safeguards online commerce. Now he’s hoping to make democratic elections more trustworthy.