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
Sequences of regularly spaced numbers are called arithmetic progressions. Though they’re simple patterns, they hide astounding mathematical complexity. And they’re difficult, often impossible, to avoid, no matter how hard you might try. Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/lwVSeXswWZY?si=JUcsZbWuclAYH6hl&t=311 Read the article: https://www.quantamagazine.org/grad-students-find-inevitable-patterns-in-big-sets-of-numbers-20240805/ ——– – VISIT our website: https://www.quantamagazine.org – LIKE usContinue 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
One of the most mind-blowing discoveries of 2024 was about the integration of the brain and body. Most immunologists have long assumed that the immune system is self-regulating. For the first time, researchers have found a neural circuit, located in the brainstem, that adjusts the immune system. This circuit sensesContinue Reading
Despite the hype, it’s been surprisingly challenging to find quantum algorithms that outperform classical ones. In this episode, UC Berkeley computer scientist, Ewin Tang, discusses her pioneering work in “dequantizing” quantum algorithms and what it means for the future of quantum computing. “The Joy of Why” is a Quanta MagazineContinue Reading
Mathematician Maggie Miller explores the strange and fascinating world of 4D topology — the study of shapes, or manifolds, that resemble flat Euclidean space when viewed up close. Four-dimensional manifolds behave in unexpectedly complex ways, pushing mathematicians to develop advanced techniques to understand them. Maggie Miller is an assistant professorContinue Reading
One of the most important events in the history of life on Earth was the emergence of multicellularity. In this episode, Will Ratcliff discusses how his snowflake yeast models provide insight into what drove the transition from single-celled to multicellular organisms. S04E01 Will Ratcliff at Georgia Tech has been conductingContinue Reading
One of the most mind-blowing discoveries of 2024 was about the integration of the brain and body. Most immunologists have long assumed that the immune system is self-regulating. For the first time, researchers have found a neural circuit, located in the brainstem, that adjusts the immune system. This circuit sensesContinue 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
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
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
Dark energy is one of the biggest mysteries in physics. DESI, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, may provide some answers. ——— – VISIT our website: https://www.quantamagazine.org – LIKE us on Facebook: / quantanews – FOLLOW us Twitter: / quantamagazine Quanta Magazine is an editorially independent publication supported by the SimonsContinue Reading