Science can be fun! Well, not really, but watching other people doing science can be fun.
Waves in a Large Free Sphere of Water
Science can be fun! Well, not really, but watching other people doing science can be fun.
Award-winning humorist Lore Sjöberg is the author of The Book of Ratings, a founder of The Brunching Shuttlecocks, and the creator of The Cyborg Name Decoder. His work has appeared in Wired magazine, Adbusters, and has appeared on NPR's Talk of the Nation and All Things Considered. ... Read More
TopicsTable of Malcontents
In Orbit You Have to Slow Down to Speed Up
Driving a spacecraft around a planet isn’t anything like driving on a planet. A physicist explains orbital navigation.
How to Follow the Trajectory of Comet 3I/Atlas
The interstellar comet 3I/Atlas reached its closest point to the sun. Here's how to follow the rest of its journey away from our solar system.
Physicists Create a Thermometer for Measuring ‘Quantumness’
“Anomalous” heat flow, which at first appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics, gives physicists a way to detect quantum entanglement without destroying it.
How Do Metal Detectors Work?
What sneaky invisible forces enable these instruments to locate buried treasure?
The ‘10 Martini’ Proof Connects Quantum Mechanics With Infinitely Intricate Mathematical Structures
The proof, known to be so hard that a mathematician once offered 10 martinis to whoever could figure it out, uses number theory to explain quantum fractals.
How Genes Have Harnessed Physics to Grow Living Things
The same pulling force that causes “tears” in a glass of wine also shapes embryos. It’s another example of how genes exploit mechanical forces for growth and development.
Unpicking How to Measure the Complexity of Knots
Two mathematicians have proved that a straightforward question—how hard is it to untie a knot?—has a complicated answer.
The First Radio Signal From Comet 3I/Atlas Ends the Debate About Its Nature
An observatory detected the first radio signal from the interstellar object 3I/Atlas. Here’s what it means.
The Hidden Math of Ocean Waves
The math behind even the simplest ocean waves is notoriously uncooperative. A team of Italian mathematicians has made major advances toward understanding it.
Hurricane Melissa Has Meteorologists Terrified
The storm, which is set to make landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, has stunned meteorologists with its intensity and the speed at which it built.
Climate Change Made Hurricane Melissa 4 Times More Likely, Study Suggests
Unusually warm ocean temperatures fueled one of the worst hurricanes on record. New research finds climate change increased the storm’s likelihood.
An Invasive Disease-Carrying Mosquito Has Spread to the Rocky Mountains
The Aedes aegypti mosquito that can carry dengue, yellow fever, and Zika was thought to be too reliant on a hot and wet climate to survive in the Mountain West. But now, a population is thriving in Western Colorado.