Cell membranes from comb jellies reveal a new kind of adaptation to the deep sea: curvy lipids that conform to an ideal shape under pressure.

By tapping into a decades-old mathematical principle, researchers are hoping that Kolmogorov-Arnold networks will facilitate scientific discovery.

The Industrial Revolution brought us the laws of thermodynamics, and new ideas about work, energy and efficiency. In this episode, co-host Steven Strogatz speaks with theoretical physicist Nicole Yunger Halpern about what these concepts might mean in the…

Last year, an immense but brief outburst of seismic energy was soon followed by a long hum that made the world ring. Finding its cause took 68 scientists and an assist by the Danish military.

Long known as a messenger within cells, RNA is increasingly seen as life’s molecular communication system — even between organisms widely separated by evolution.

Machines work with words by embedding their relationships with other words in a string of numbers.

Mathematicians have long wondered how “shapes of constant width” behave in higher dimensions. A surprisingly simple construction has given them an answer.

Curious connections between physics and math suggest to Latham Boyle that space-time may survive the jump to the next theory of reality.

A 1930s-era breakthrough is helping physicists understand how quantum threads could weave together into a holographic space-time fabric.

A black hole formula worked out in the 1970s remains the most concrete clue physicists have about the threads of the space-time fabric.

This special issue of Quanta Magazine explores the ultimate scientific quest: the search for the fundamental nature of reality.

These three imagined scenarios lead many physicists to doubt that space-time is fundamental.

A mysterious phenomenon known as duality often leads to new discoveries in physics. This time, space-time itself can sometimes be two things at once.

A decade after the discovery of the “amplituhedron,” physicists have excavated more of the timeless geometry underlying the standard picture of how particles move.

Extremophiles, or microbes that live in the most seemingly hostile environments, are the darlings of astrobiologists, who study the potential for life beyond Earth. In this episode, co-host Janna Levin speaks with astrobiologist and cave explorer Penelope…

Invisibly to us, insects and other tiny creatures use static electricity to travel, avoid predators, collect pollen and more. New experiments explore how evolution may have influenced this phenomenon.

Across the social and biological sciences, statisticians use a technique that leverages randomness to deal with the unknown.

Three researchers have figured out how to craft a proof that spreads out information while keeping it perfectly secret.

To better understand how machines learn, Lenka Zdeborová treats them like physical materials.

Astronomers are reveling in the James Webb Space Telescope’s discoveries about the formative epoch of cosmic history.

Cancer treatment has come a long way in recent decades. But finding the best course of treatment for each case of this diverse, dynamic disease remains a challenge. In this episode, co-host Steven Strogatz speaks with computational biologist Franziska Michor…