All Articles
Mathematicians Calculate How Randomness Creeps In
The goal of a 15 puzzle is to put numbered tiles in order. Now mathematicians have solved the opposite problem — how to scramble one.
As Winters Shrink, Our Discontent Grows
Our sense of order is disappearing with the snow packs.
Falling in Love With the Dark
One astronomer has taken to U.S. National Parks to rekindle an old romance.
What Shape Is the Universe? A New Study Suggests We’ve Got It All Wrong
When researchers reanalyzed the gold-standard data set of the early universe, they concluded that the cosmos must be “closed,” or curled up like a ball. Most others remain unconvinced.
The Psychology of Greta Thunberg’s Climate Activism
Identifying the ingredients of an effective argument.
The Rainforest Is Teeming with Consciousness
Our fate turns on retiring our dualist view of nature.
Perceptions of Musical Octaves Are Learned, Not Wired in the Brain
Singing experiments with residents of the Bolivian rainforest demonstrate how biology and experience shape the way we hear music.
The Most-Magnetic Objects in the Universe Attract New Controversy
How do magnetars get so magnetic? A study of stellar explosions shows that the long-accepted theory might be wrong.
