Mathematics
How Mathematics Can Predict—and Help Prevent—the Next Pandemic
Mathematician Abba Gumel uses calculations and models to prepare for future disease outbreaks
Stories by Rachel Crowell
Mathematics
Why 2 Is the Best Number and Other Secrets from a MacArthur-Winning Mathematician
Mathematician Melanie Matchett Wood seeks creative ways of solving open math problems
Mathematics
Mathematicians Are Trying to ‘Hear’ Shapes—And Reach Higher Dimensions
An intriguing question about drums kicked off decades of inquiry
Mathematics
The Evolving Quest for a Grand Unified Theory of Mathematics
More than 50 years after the seeds of a vast collection of mathematical ideas called the Langlands program began to sprout, surprising new findings are emerging
Mathematics
Mathematicians Protest Russia Hosting Major Conference
For years, concerned researchers have been calling for a boycott of the 2022 International Congress of Mathematicians
Quantum Physics
Turbulence Equations Discovered after Century-Long Quest
The formulas describe the complex behavior of a liquid when it meets a boundary
Mathematics
New Math Research Group Reflects a Schism in the Field
Critics accuse the organization of opposing efforts to stamp out inequity
Space Exploration
Disabled Astronauts Blaze New Space Trails
Efforts are underway to make space missions more accessible
Mathematics
Gnarly, Centuries-Old Mathematical Quandaries Get New Solutions
A set of puzzles called Diophantine problems are often simple to state but hard to solve—though progress could have big implications for the future of mathematics
Mathematics
Modern Mathematics Confronts Its White, Patriarchal Past
Mathematicians want to think their field is a meritocracy, but bias, harassment and exclusion persist
The Sciences
The Top Unsolved Questions in Mathematics Remain Mostly Mysterious
Just one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems named 21 years ago has been solved
Biology
Blood Test Allows Safer Turtle Sex Determination
A new process could help conservationists save imperiled species
Biotech
Electrified Fabric Could Zap the Coronavirus on Masks and Clothing
New materials and coatings could make fabric inactivate or repel viral particles
Engineering
Low-Tech Water Wand Finds Contaminated Drinking Water
A cheap, simple device that detects heavy metals could streamline testing
Biology
Scorpion Venom Could Lead to New Antibiotics
Scientists isolate and synthesize two compounds that can fight common, and even drug-resistant, infections
Biotech
Device That Automates Manual Breathing Bags Could Save Lives
A machine that can pump manual bag valve masks without human help could be a stopgap measure or replacement for mechanical ventilators
Space & Physics
Quirky Quantum Tunneling Observed
A new study finds observational evidence of Klein tunneling, a strange phenomenon that enables particles to pass through even the toughest barriers
Space & Physics
The Universe’s First Stars Exploded in Strange Ways
A new study finds observational evidence that one of the first stars exploded in an asymmetrical blast that spread heavy elements into the cosmos
Engineering
Simulating Evolution to Determine the Fastest Wing
Researchers combined laboratory and simulated experiments on 3-D-printed wings to find the ideal wing shape
