Hidden Truths
The Math of Living Things
Exploring the intersection of physical and biological laws.
The End of Reductionism Could Be Nigh. Or Not.
Quantum mechanics seems to have a problem with the order of time, which might signal the need for an entirely new type of law.Illustration by Ekaterina Kulaeva / Shutterstock The history of science so far has been a triumph of reductionism. Biology can be reduced to chemistry, chemistry can be reduced to atomic physics, and […]
The History of Locker-Room Talk
Why men put down other men by attacking their masculinity.
Is the Universe Open-Ended?
An intriguing proposal about what makes reality tick under the surface.
My 3 Greatest Revelations
The author on writing his new book, “The Ascent of Information.”
My Lab Uses Ultrasound to Stimulate Unconscious Patients
Ultrasound can be a neuromodulator—to increase or decrease the likelihood that neurons will fire. Exactly how this works remains unclear, but it likely results from the physical “shaking” of neurons.Illustration by Jackie Niam / Shutterstock A few years ago, at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, I escaped the noisy midday hustle and bustle, ducking into […]
Data Crunchers to the Rescue
Genetic diseases that puzzle lab scientists are being solved by quantitative biologists.
We Already Know How to Stop SolarWinds-Like Hacks
Last year, hackers made headlines after they breached SolarWinds, a software company that specializes in network monitoring software. About 33,000 organizations, including the Pentagon, the U.S. State Department, and some intelligence agencies, use Orion, one of SolarWinds’ products. Orion was designed to monitor the users’ networks to make sure they were functioning properly and, ironically, […]
Our Little Life Is Rounded with Possibility
Science expressed only in terms of what happens is getting in the way of progress.
T. Rex Was a Slacker
A natural wonder of the big theropod was how it conserved energy.
