Quanta Magazine – Page 2

March 11, 2017

A Radical Vision of the Universe Returns to Electrify Physics

A decades-old method called the "bootstrap" is enabling new discoveries about the geometry underlying all quantum theories. The post A Radical Vision of the Universe Returns to Electrify Physics appeared first on WIRED.

March 4, 2017

The Beauty of Mathematics: It Can Never Lie to You

For Sylvia Serfaty, mathematics is all about truth and beauty and building scientific and human connections. The post The Beauty of Mathematics: It Can Never Lie to You appeared first on WIRED.

February 19, 2017

Biologists Are Figuring Out How Cells Tell Left From Right

"Anything that's not forbidden by the laws of physics is possible." The post Biologists Are Figuring Out How Cells Tell Left From Right appeared first on WIRED.

February 11, 2017

How Life (and Death) Spring From Disorder

As simple systems show signs of life, scientists are arguing about whether this apparent complexity is all a consequence of thermodynamics. The post How Life (and Death) Spring From Disorder appeared first on WIRED.

February 5, 2017

The Mathematician Who Will Make You Fall in Love With Numbers

The ancient Greeks argued that the best life was filled with beauty, truth, justice, play, and love. The mathematician Francis Su knows just where to find them. The post The Mathematician Who Will Make You Fall in Love With Numbers appeared first on WIRED.

January 22, 2017

How Did Life Begin? Dividing Droplets Could Hold the Answer

Researchers have discovered that simple "chemically active" droplets grow to the size of cells and spontaneously divide, suggesting they might have evolved into the first living cells. The post How Did Life Begin? Dividing Droplets Could Hold the Answer appeared first on WIRED.

January 8, 2017

How to Build Beautiful 3-D Fractals Out of the Simplest Equations

By folding fractals into 3-D objects, a mathematical duo hopes to gain new insight into simple equations. The post How to Build Beautiful 3-D Fractals Out of the Simplest Equations appeared first on WIRED.

January 1, 2017

Deep Within a Mountain, Physicists Race to Unearth Dark Matter

Elena Aprile now leads the world's most sensitive dark-matter search. But before she could build her first detector, she had to make herself out of titanium. The post Deep Within a Mountain, Physicists Race to Unearth Dark Matter appeared first on WIRED.

December 13, 2016

A Great Science Teacher Quit Because US Schools Are Broken

Why do some of the best science teachers quit teaching? The post A Great Science Teacher Quit Because US Schools Are Broken appeared first on WIRED.

December 12, 2016

Quantum Gravity Research Could Unearth the True Nature of Time

The effort to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity means reconciling totally different notions of time. The post Quantum Gravity Research Could Unearth the True Nature of Time appeared first on WIRED.