A major advance in computational complexity reveals deep connections between the classes of problems that computers can — and can’t — possibly do.

Cellular clocks are almost everywhere. Clues to how they work are coming from the places they’re not.

The post How the Body’s Trillions of Clocks Keep Time first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Nima Arkani-Hamed is championing a campaign to build the world’s largest particle collider, even as he pursues a new vision of the laws of nature.

Einstein refused to believe in the inherent unpredictability of the world. Is the subatomic world insane, or just subtle?

The post Einstein’s Parable of Quantum Insanity first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Cellular clocks are almost everywhere. Clues to how they work are coming from the places they’re not.

A recent cryptographic breakthrough has proven difficult to put into practice. But new advances show how near-perfect computer security might be surprisingly close at hand.

The post A New Design for Cryptography’s Black Box first appeared on Quanta Magazine

A new understanding of viral swarms is helping researchers predict how viruses will evolve and where disease is likely to spread.

The post How Mutant Viral Swarms Spread Disease first appeared on Quanta Magazine

A recent cryptographic breakthrough has proven difficult to put into practice. But new advances show how near-perfect computer security might be surprisingly close at hand.

The mathematician John Horton Conway’s myriad accomplishments — including the Game of Life, sprouts and the surreal numbers — are the product of a mind at play.

Emerging data suggests the seemingly impossible — that mysterious new genes arise from “junk” DNA.

The post A Surprise Source of Life’s Code first appeared on Quanta Magazine