Nearly 3,000 years ago, the ancient Babylonians began one of the longest-running science experiments in history. The goal: to predict eclipses. This singular aim has driven innovation across the history of science and mathematics, from the Saros cycle, to Greek geometry, to Newton’s calculus, to the three-body problem. Today, eclipseContinue Reading
For decades, Shor’s algorithm has been the paragon of the power of quantum computers. This set of instructions allows a machine that can exploit the quirks of quantum physics to break large numbers into their prime factors much faster than a regular, classical computer — potentially laying waste to muchContinue Reading
Researchers Robert Hazen and Michael Wong have put forward a bold new law of nature — one that could explain how everything in the universe evolves, from atoms, minerals and stars to living cells, ecosystems and even human civilization. At the heart of their theory is the idea that informationContinue Reading
David Baker’s lab, the UW Institute for Protein Design, is pioneering the use of a wide-range of AI tools to design new and novel proteins in order to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Watch the related video “How AI Cracked the Protein Folding Code and Won a NobelContinue Reading
In 1936, a 23-year-old British mathematician named Alan Turing revolutionized the future of computer science. While exploring the foundations of mathematics, Turing introduced a groundbreaking idea: a machine capable of computing any sequence—given enough time and memory. These theoretical devices, now known as Turing Machines, laid the foundation for modernContinue Reading
What if time isn’t fundamental at all? Physicist Carlo Rovelli reveals how modern physics, from relativity to quantum gravity, has gradually erased time from its equations. In its place, we find change, entropy, and the deep connection between the universe’s evolution and our own perception of its flow. Featuring Rovelli’sContinue Reading
2025 marked a historic year in mathematics. Researchers solved a major case of Hilbert’s ambitious sixth problem, proved a sweeping new theorem about hyperbolic surfaces, and settled the longstanding three-dimensional Kakeya conjecture. 00:00 – Hilbert’s Sixth Problem Solved In a landmark achievement, mathematicians have put the laws of fluid dynamicsContinue Reading
In 2025, physicists spotted a paradigm-shifting new black hole, doubled down on weakening dark energy, and discovered that the Earth’s deep interior may be more connected than previously thought, reshaping our picture of the planet’s engine. 0:00 – Little Red Dots The James Webb Space Telescope has found a lonelyContinue Reading
The Fourier transform is a fundamental mathematical tool that breaks complex waveforms into their basic frequency components. Widely used in science and engineering, it underpins technologies from JPEG image compression to MRI scans. ——— – VISIT our website: https://www.quantamagazine.org – LIKE us on Facebook: / quantanews – FOLLOW us Twitter:Continue Reading
Quantum gravity could help physicists unite the currently incompatible worlds of quantum mechanics and gravity. In this episode, Stanford University physicist Monika Schleier-Smith discusses her pioneering experimental approach, using laser-cooled atoms to explore whether gravity could emerge from quantum entanglement. “The Joy of Why” is a Quanta Magazine podcast aboutContinue Reading
When black holes collide and merge, the smashup is so violent that it shakes the very fabric of space-time itself. Astrophysicists detect these space-time ripples, which are known as gravitational waves. ——— Quanta Magazine is an editorially independent publication supported by the Simons Foundation. We focus on developments in mathematics,Continue Reading
In 1957, an imaging technique called X-ray crystallography gave scientists their first detailed look at a protein’s structure, unlocking a hidden world of biology. Since then, it’s become an essential tool for mapping the 3D structure of hundreds of thousands of proteins—many of which are now stored in the ProteinContinue Reading
A simple question about a spinning needle has haunted mathematicians for more than a century. It led to the Kakeya conjecture, a cornerstone of modern analysis connecting geometry, fractals, and the behavior of waves. Now, mathematicians Hong Wang and Joshua Zahl have cracked the 3D case — a once-in-a-generation breakthroughContinue Reading