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Contemplating the End of Physics
Has physics reached the limits of what we can discover — or are the possibilities only just beginning?
Some Math Problems Seem Impossible. That Can Be a Good Thing.
Struggling with math problems that can’t be solved helps us better understand the ones we can.
The Epigenetic Secrets Behind Dopamine, Drug Addiction and Depression
New research links serotonin and dopamine not just to addiction and depression, but to the ability to control genes.
The Simple Math Problem We Still Can’t Solve
Despite recent progress on the notorious Collatz conjecture, we still don’t know whether a number can escape its infinite loop.
When Math Gets Impossibly Hard
Mathematicians have long grappled with the reality that some problems just don’t have solutions.
Social Distancing From the Stars
Professional astronomers may not point their telescopes by hand anymore, but COVID-19 has still closed observatories and impeded research.
Spotting Quantum Black Holes in the Lab
Can we test speculations about how quantum physics affects black holes and the Big Bang?
The Math of Social Distancing Is a Lesson in Geometry
How to safely reopen offices, schools and other public spaces while keeping people six feet apart comes down to a question mathematicians have been studying for centuries.
The Two Forms of Mathematical Beauty
Mathematicians typically appreciate either generic or exceptional beauty in their work, but one type is more useful in describing the universe.