Richard Prum explains why he thinks feathers and vibrant traits in birds evolved not solely for survival, but also through aesthetic choice.
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Latest Articles
Researchers Discover the Optimal Way To Optimize
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The leading approach to the simplex method, a widely used technique for balancing complex logistical constraints, can’t get any better.
Genes Have Harnessed Physics to Help Grow Living Things
The same pulling force that causes “tears” in a glass of wine also shapes embryos. It’s another example of how genes exploit mechanical forces for growth and development.
Loops of DNA Equipped Ancient Life To Become Complex
New work shows that physical folding of the genome to control genes located far away may have been an early evolutionary development.
Origami Patterns Solve a Major Physics Riddle
The amplituhedron, a shape at the heart of particle physics, appears to be deeply connected to the mathematics of paper folding.
How One AI Model Creates a Physical Intuition of Its Environment
The V-JEPA system uses ordinary videos to understand the physics of the real world.
How the Brain Balances Excitation and Inhibition
A healthy brain maintains a harmony of neurons that excite or inhibit other neurons, but the lines between different types of cells are blurrier than researchers once thought.
New Math Revives Geometry’s Oldest Problems
Using a relatively young theory, a team of mathematicians has started to answer questions whose roots lie at the very beginning of mathematics.
To Understand AI, Watch How It Evolves
Naomi Saphra thinks that most research into language models focuses too much on the finished product. She’s mining the history of their training for insights into why these systems work the way they do.
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The Quantum Mechanics of Greenhouse Gases
Earth’s radiation can send some molecules spinning or vibrating, which is what makes them greenhouse gases. This infographic explains how relatively few heat-trapping molecules can have a planetary effect.
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Illuminating basic science and math research through public service journalism.
More about usQuanta 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.
