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Symmetry, Algebra and the Monster
To begin to understand what mathematicians and physicists see in the abstract structures of symmetries, let’s start with a familiar shape.
Roberto Peccei and Helen Quinn, Driving Around Stanford in a Clunky Jeep
The two physicists who introduced Peccei-Quinn symmetry came up with their idea on and around Stanford University’s campus 40 years ago.
New Number Systems Seek Their Lost Primes
For centuries, mathematicians tried to solve problems by adding new values to the usual numbers. Now they’re investigating the unintended consequences of that tinkering.
Physicists Uncover Geometric ‘Theory Space’
A decades-old method called the “bootstrap” is enabling new discoveries about the geometry underlying all quantum theories.
A Wormhole Between Physics and Education
The theoretical particle physicist Helen Quinn has blazed a singular path from the early days of the Standard Model to the latest overhaul of science education in the United States.
Neutrinos Hint of Matter-Antimatter Rift
A hint that neutrinos behave differently than antineutrinos suggests an answer to one the biggest questions in physics.
A Quasicrystal’s Shocking Origin
By blasting a stack of minerals with a four-meter-long gun, scientists have found a new clue about the backstory of a very strange rock.
The Universe Is Not a Snowflake
Nature’s laws are beautiful because they strike a compromise between boring symmetry and confusing asymmetry, physicists say.
Sphere Packing Solved in Higher Dimensions
The Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska has solved the centuries-old sphere-packing problem in dimensions eight and 24.