Steven Strogatz explores the mysteries of knots with the mathematicians Colin Adams and Lisa Piccirillo.
Samuel Velasco/Quanta Magazine
A new analysis of W bosons suggests these particles are significantly heavier than predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics.
The existence of secure cryptography depends on one of the oldest questions in computational complexity.
The optical properties of mitochondrial bundles in the retina may improve how efficiently the eye captures light.
The result could help researchers answer a larger question about flattening objects from the fourth dimension to the third dimension.
Lillian Pierce wants to transform access to the world of mathematics, while making headway on problems that bridge the discrete and continuous.
Physicists are using quantum math to understand what happens when black holes collide. In a surprise, they’ve shown that a single particle can describe a collision’s entire gravitational wave.
With self-generated gradients of chemicals and physical tension, cells in the body steer themselves to vital destinations.
Play this simple math game with your friends to gain insights into fundamental principles of graph theory.
We might have a past faint sun to owe for life’s existence. This has consequences for the possibility of life outside Earth.
How to win games by going second and leaving your opponent with no good options.
Quanta Magazine is committed to in-depth, accurate journalism that serves the public interest. Each article braids the complexities of science with the malleable art of storytelling and is meticulously reported, edited and fact-checked. Launched and funded by the Simons Foundation, Quanta is editorially independent — our articles do not reflect or represent the views of the foundation.