Unpicking How to Measure the Complexity of Knots
Two mathematicians have proved that a straightforward question—how hard is it to untie a knot?—has a complicated answer.
How to Follow the Trajectory of Comet 3I/Atlas
The interstellar comet 3I/Atlas reached its closest point to the sun. Here's how to follow the rest of its journey away from our solar system.
Space dust in the Arctic is helping scientists track the climate crisis
A historical record of Arctic sea ice based on the abundance of cosmic dust in sediments on the sea bed of the Arctic Ocean has revealed how the sea ice responds to climate warming.
Wildfires are getting more intense around the world due to human-driven climate change
A new global wildfire report reveals how human-caused warming made fire weather dozens of times more likely — and shows how satellites are helping scientists track the planet's future.
Blood Tests for Alzheimer’s Are Here
New diagnostic kits aim to revolutionize early screening of the disease, potentially allowing patients to receive treatments—such as monoclonal antibodies—sooner.
A New Type of Opioid Is Killing People in the US, Europe, and Australia
Nitazenes, a class of synthetic drugs 40 times more potent than fentanyl, are steadily becoming more common on both sides of the Atlantic.
A New Light-Based Cancer Treatment Kills Tumor Cells and Spares Healthy Ones
By combining LED technology and nanomaterials, researchers have created a therapy that eliminates cancer cells using localized heat without damaging healthy tissue.
Physicists Create a Thermometer for Measuring ‘Quantumness’
“Anomalous” heat flow, which at first appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics, gives physicists a way to detect quantum entanglement without destroying it.
Climate Change Made Hurricane Melissa 4 Times More Likely, Study Suggests
Unusually warm ocean temperatures fueled one of the worst hurricanes on record. New research finds climate change increased the storm’s likelihood.
The ‘10 Martini’ Proof Connects Quantum Mechanics With Infinitely Intricate Mathematical Structures
The proof, known to be so hard that a mathematician once offered 10 martinis to whoever could figure it out, uses number theory to explain quantum fractals.