2021 in Review
Latest Articles
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.
Why Math’s Final Axiom Proved So Controversial
Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory is so widely accepted that modern mathematicians hardly think about it. But believing in its core principles didn’t come easily.
Physicists Discover the Most Complex Forms of Ice Yet
Scientists keep detecting new forms of ice. According to simulations, there could be many more left to find.
A New Type of Neuroplasticity Rewires the Brain After a Single Experience
“Neurons that fire together, wire together” is not the full story. A novel mechanism explains how the brain can learn across longer timescales.
A Powerful New ‘QR Code’ Untangles Math’s Knottiest Knots
With a newly discovered mathematical tool, researchers are hoping to gain unprecedented insight into the structure of complex knots.
What Physical ‘Life Force’ Turns Biology’s Wheels?
The bacterial flagellar motor is finally understood after 50 years. In its workings, columnist Natalie Wolchover finds the essence of life.