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19 Women Leading Math and Physics
Top women in mathematics and physics discuss how they got to where they are — and why there aren’t more of them.
The Almost-Proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem
19th-century mathematicians thought the “roots of unity” were the key to solving Fermat’s Last Theorem. Then they discovered a fatal flaw.
How Circadian Clocks Differ From Sleep
The circadian clock is in nearly every cell, and researchers have untangled many of its secrets. But sleep has been harder to pin down.
The Hidden Twist to Making a Möbius Strip
The simple Möbius strip illustrates a deep mathematical challenge that has long tormented the field of symplectic geometry.
How Viruses May Have Led to Complex Life
Without viruses, we might never have evolved.
Droplets That ‘Come to Life’
Life might have originated in droplets that behave surprisingly like living cells.
Graph Isomorphism Vanquished — Again
Just five days after posting a retraction, László Babai announced that he had fixed the error in his landmark graph isomorphism algorithm.
How Curvature Makes a Shape a Shape
The ancient study of an object’s curvature is guiding mathematicians toward a new understanding of simple equations.
Complexity Theory Problem Strikes Back
The legendary graph isomorphism problem may be harder than a 2015 result seemed to suggest.