The Future of Quantum Computing
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A New Map of ‘Empty’ Space Challenges a Tranquil Picture of the Galaxy
For decades, astronomers treated the interstellar medium as a static backdrop to the goings-on of the universe. Now, a wave of 3D mapping is bringing the interstellar medium’s dynamic nature into focus.
How Do You Take a Picture of a Black Hole?
Astrophysicist Shep Doeleman explains how capturing the first image of a black hole required a telescope the size of the world, and why the next goal is to create a movie.
How Spiders Spin ‘Silk Dope’ Into Nature’s Toughest Material
By probing its molecular structure, biologists are uncovering how a tangle of unstructured proteins turns into a strong, flexible fiber.
How Voting Is Like a Klein Bottle
A new topological model connects a centuries-old voting paradox to a surface with no distinct inside or outside.
Malaria Parasite Caught in the Act of Breaking and Entering
To invade red blood cells, the deadly protist creates a temporary molecular portal that disappears behind it — a door we can now see in fine detail.
See Inside Cells Like Never Before in These Vivid Microscopic Images
Winning entries in the 2026 Nikon Small World competitions reveal the hidden interactions that govern everyday life.
AI Proved the Quasi-Riemann Hypothesis. What Happens Now?
Unlike other recent AI proofs, this one has been unpacked by human experts. The implications, one mathematician said, are “staggering.”
He Wants AI Benchmarking To Be a Science, Not a Dark Art
Moritz Hardt, author of a new book on benchmarks, believes these “standardized tests” for artificial intelligence are fundamentally broken — but not unfixable.
How Do Fungi Keep the Planet Healthy?
Evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers explains how fungal networks in soil trade nutrients with plants, help keep carbon underground, and strike bargains without having a brain.