All articles from Quanta Magazine
What Do Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorems Truly Mean?
At 25, Kurt Gödel proved there can never be a mathematical “theory of everything.” Columnist Natalie Wolchover explores the implications. The post What Do Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorems T
Rubin Tracks Skyscraper-Size Asteroids, Failed Supernovas, and Interstellar Visitors
Astronomers are preparing for a new era of big-data astronomy, and results are already starting to arrive. The post Rubin Tracks Skyscraper-Size Asteroids, Failed Supernovas, and Interstel
How the Bird Eye Was Pushed to an Evolutionary Extreme
The bird retina is one of the most energetically expensive tissues in the animal kingdom, yet it doesn’t use the energy advantage of oxygen. New research finally explains how this is possible.
How Unknowable Math Can Help Hide Secrets
A graduate student recently harnessed the complexity of mathematical proofs to create a powerful new tool in cryptography. The post How Unknowable Math Can Help Hide Secrets first appeared
Will We Ever Be Able To Forecast Volcanic Eruptions Like Weather?
It should be possible, but getting there will require a greater understanding of subsurface physics. The post Will We Ever Be Able To Forecast Volcanic Eruptions Like Weather? first appear
What Causes Lightning? The Answer Keeps Getting More Interesting.
Armed with a slew of new instruments, physicists are closing in on one of nature’s oldest mysteries — and finding that storm clouds are seething with violent and unexpected phenomena. The