Issue_81
22 articles-
Should Scientists Use the Phrase “Quantum Supremacy”?
Forget for a moment that you know the meaning of “quantum supremacy,” the idea of a quantum computer outdoing its conventional counterpart. What does the phrase instantly bring to mind? Perhaps the idea that the quantum world, with its electrons, neutrons, and quarks, is, somehow, better than ours—more dazzling and awe-inspiring. Or perhaps it’s the […] -
Why Doesn’t Everybody Have Dark Skin Today?
Questions and answers about the science of skin color. -
What Really Inflamed the Coronavirus Epidemic
Censorship didn’t worsen the deadly virus outbreak. Incompetence did. -
Color-Changing Material Unites the Math and Physics of Knots
Reprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine’s Abstractions blog.One sunny day in the summer of 2019, Mathias Kolle, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, took a couple of eminent colleagues out sailing. They talked about their research. They had some drinks. Then Kolle noticed something was off: A rowboat tied to his boat had come […] -
There’s No Homunculus In Our Brain Who Guides Us
Why the cognitive-map theory is misguided.
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Why We Love to Be Grossed Out
Disgust may not be a straightforward extension of the immune system’s aversion to harmful substances, but rather “a psychological nebula, lacking definite boundaries, discrete internal structure, or a single center of gravity,” says psychologist Nina Strohminger.Photograph by Star Stock / Flickr Nina Strohminger, perhaps not unlike many fans of raunchy comedies and horror flicks, is […]
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Mapping Gay-Friendly Cities Through History
A data analyst uncovers a timeless message about correlation.
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Why Shouldn’t a Horsefly Be Named After Beyoncé?
At best, names for species derived from celebrities and scientists become maps to hidden treasure, rewarding those who follow the trail of clues with stories of fascinating people and human history.Photograph by Ronald Woan / Flickr David Bowie and Beyoncé never shared a stage, but they share the distinction of having cleverly eponymous species names […]
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This Psychological Concept Could Be Shaping the Presidential Election
Could Warren’s political fate in 2020 turn on voters who think she would make a great president choosing another candidate because they think that’s what their neighbors will do?Photograph by Maverick Pictures / Shutterstock Not too long ago, I briefly met Elizabeth Warren in a restaurant in Cambridge, near Harvard, where I’m now a postdoc […]
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The Cultural Distances Between Us
Mapping the world’s psychological traits. -
The John, Paul, George, and Ringo of Genes
A pictorial map of the genes that unite all life. -
Why Astrology Matters
Seeing meaning in the stars is a vital part of the scientific story. -
How Ancient Light Reveals the Universe’s Contents
Reprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine’s Abstractions blog.In early 2003, Chuck Bennett learned the precise contents of the cosmos. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . By then, most cosmologists had concluded that the universe contains much more than meets the eye. Observations of pinwheeling galaxies suggested that scaffolds of invisible matter […] -
We Are All Ancient Mapmakers
Why we still see the world like the mathematician and poet who first mapped it.
