Mathematicians Measure Infinities, and Find They're Equal
Proof rests on a surprising link between infinity size and the complexity of mathematical theories
Quanta Magazine
Bacteria Use Brainlike Bursts of Electricity to Communicate
With electrical signals, cells can organize themselves into complex societies and negotiate with other colonies
Mathematical Wave Puzzle Shines Light on the Physics of Electrons
A mathematician and her collaborators figured out how to predict electrons’ behavior by studying the mathematics of waves
Can Microbes Encourage Altruism?
If gut bacteria can sway their hosts to be selfless, it could answer a riddle that goes back to Darwin
Moonlighting Genes Evolve for a Venomous Job
An unexpected mechanism allows wasps to rapidly co-opt genes for new toxic functions
Wanted: More Data, the Dirtier the Better
The computational immunologist Purvesh Khatri embraces messy data as a way to capture the messiness of disease. As a result, he’s making elusive genomic discoveries
New Number Systems Seek Their Lost Primes
For centuries mathematicians tried to solve problems by adding new values to the usual numbers. Now they’re investigating the unintended consequences of that tinkering
The Shape-Shifting Army inside Your Cells
Proteins work like rigid keys to activate cellular functions—or so everyone thought
The Mathematics of Evolution: Q&A with Biologist Marcus Feldman
Feldman creates mathematical models that reveal how cultural traditions can affect the evolution of a species
The Mathematics of Cake Cutting
Computer scientists have come up with an algorithm that can fairly divide a cake among any number of people
