Stories by Joseph Howlett

The M.I.T. cosmologist shares his thoughts on physics, the federal funding of science and the resilience of the scientific community

The prolific mathematician discusses the role culture plays in understanding and appreciating science

The renowned physicist on the lack of public support for political interference in science

Mikhail Verbitsky was detained at an Armenian airport last Thursday on charges of inciting terrorism

New results challenge AI’s promise for solving how fluids swirl—and suggest a more human path forward

The second batch of “First Proof” problems is meant to evaluate AI’s usefulness for research-level math. The best model got six or seven of the 10 questions basically right

Microsoft’s announcement of a new quantum computing breakthrough with its Majorana 2 chip continues a trend of bold claims followed by scant evidence

How animals use Earth’s magnetic field to navigate is one of biology’s biggest unsolved mysteries. This study proposes a totally new source for the sixth sense

Debate still swirls around the nature of “little red dots,” black holes glimpsed in the early universe by the James Webb Space Telescope. A controversial new weigh-in may settle the matter

Gold doesn’t tarnish like similar metals do. A new paper says that the key is the intricate “herringbone” pattern of its atoms.

A chatbot’s result for the 80-year-old “unit distance” conjecture is the first AI proof that would likely be published in math’s top journal if humans had done it alone

The sudden resolution of a well-known conjecture highlights the growing adoption of AI as an assistant in high-level mathematics

The intimidating legacy of the scariest problem in mathematics

Archaeologists analyzed a Neanderthal molar that seems like it was intentionally drilled, but some experts are skeptical

Several teams appeared to spend the second half of the U.S. professional basketball season losing games on purpose for a better chance at a high draft pick. New ideas propose to fix this incentive problem

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment will study nature’s most mysterious particle a mile beneath South Dakota’s Black Hills and will potentially reveal the origins of matter

Measurements of this interstellar comet’s molecular makeup show an excess of heavy water molecules that is dramatically different from anything known to have ever formed around our sun

A ChatGPT AI has proved a conjecture with a method no human had thought of. Experts believe it may have further uses

For decades, mathematician Frank Merle has been embracing the messy math behind lasers and fluids

Observations by the Mars Express orbiter reveal rapid changes on the Red Planet’s surface from windblown volcanic ash

Artemis II’s safe return from lunar orbit sparks a debate over the costs, climate effects and long‑term value of going back to the moon

The Artemis II mission’s 10-day odyssey around the moon and back was captured in stunning photographs at every moment. Here are 12 of our favorite images

The Artemis II spacecraft is due to splash down on April 10, and NASA officials and the astronauts onboard are gearing up for that return

After decades of planning, NASA’s Artemis program is giving astronomers their long-awaited moonshot