Pencils Down: Experiments in Education
Latest Articles
Did Life Begin in an RNA World?
Some believe the earliest life emerged from self-copying molecules that could mutate and even evolve. But that may not have been enough.
A Strange Quantum Theorem Has Killed Einstein’s Reality
Albert Einstein fought to save our everyday notion of reality from the strangeness of quantum mechanics. But those who set out to aid him keep poking holes in his argument.
New Research Tests Whether AI Models Know Their Own Thoughts
By injecting “thoughts” directly into large language models, researchers are trying to map out AI’s capacity for introspection.
Is There Anything Left in the Dream of Cold Fusion?
Dig a little deeper and you’ll find a thriving research program with exotic atoms that won’t solve the energy crisis but stretches the boundaries of physics.
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.