Quanta Magazine
@quantamagazine.bsky.social
Illuminating math and science. Supported by the Simons Foundation. 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting. www.quantamagazine.org
Will it take decades or centuries for West Antarctica's glaciers to melt into the ocean? 230 million people live near enough to sea level to be impacted by the answer to this question. www.quantamagazine.org/how-soon-wil...
November 10, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Will it take decades or centuries for West Antarctica's glaciers to melt into the ocean? 230 million people live near enough to sea level to be impacted by the answer to this question. www.quantamagazine.org/how-soon-wil...
Archimedes, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein have all been linked to “eureka!” moments. Neuroscientists are studying what happens in the brain during these sudden insights. www.quantamagazine.org/how-your-bra...
November 9, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Archimedes, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein have all been linked to “eureka!” moments. Neuroscientists are studying what happens in the brain during these sudden insights. www.quantamagazine.org/how-your-bra...
What is a particle? In one hypothetical answer, the properties of space-time — its robustness, its symmetries — essentially come from the way 0s and 1s are braided together. www.quantamagazine.org/what-is-a-pa...
November 9, 2025 at 4:46 PM
What is a particle? In one hypothetical answer, the properties of space-time — its robustness, its symmetries — essentially come from the way 0s and 1s are braided together. www.quantamagazine.org/what-is-a-pa...
The term “manifold” comes from “Mannigfaltigkeit,” which is German for “variety” or “multiplicity.” www.quantamagazine.org/what-is-a-ma...
November 8, 2025 at 9:04 PM
The term “manifold” comes from “Mannigfaltigkeit,” which is German for “variety” or “multiplicity.” www.quantamagazine.org/what-is-a-ma...
The sizes of shark species show that mathematical rules constrain evolution. www.quantamagazine.org/shark-data-s...
November 8, 2025 at 4:46 PM
The sizes of shark species show that mathematical rules constrain evolution. www.quantamagazine.org/shark-data-s...
In 2002, West Antarctica's Larsen B ice shelf suddenly collapsed. In this series of NASA satellite images, pools of meltwater are visible as parallel blue lines. The shelf soon disintegrated into slush and ice bergs that later drifted out to sea. www.quantamagazine.org/how-soon-wil...
November 6, 2025 at 9:04 PM
In 2002, West Antarctica's Larsen B ice shelf suddenly collapsed. In this series of NASA satellite images, pools of meltwater are visible as parallel blue lines. The shelf soon disintegrated into slush and ice bergs that later drifted out to sea. www.quantamagazine.org/how-soon-wil...
November 6, 2025 at 7:45 PM
In recent years, LIGO’s researchers have made advancements towards a more precise instrument by switching to new, more stable glass mirrors. LIGO is now sensitive enough to detect one black hole merger about every three days.
10/11
10/11
November 6, 2025 at 7:45 PM
In recent years, LIGO’s researchers have made advancements towards a more precise instrument by switching to new, more stable glass mirrors. LIGO is now sensitive enough to detect one black hole merger about every three days.
10/11
10/11
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) bounces lasers between a system of mirrors to detect gravitational waves. The machine’s extreme sensitivity is limited by those tiny atomic motions in the mirrors’ surface.
9/11
9/11
November 6, 2025 at 7:45 PM
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) bounces lasers between a system of mirrors to detect gravitational waves. The machine’s extreme sensitivity is limited by those tiny atomic motions in the mirrors’ surface.
9/11
9/11
While still imperfect, ancient glass like this 110 million year old piece of amber is helping scientists understand how atoms in glass stabilize over time.
8/11
8/11
November 6, 2025 at 7:45 PM
While still imperfect, ancient glass like this 110 million year old piece of amber is helping scientists understand how atoms in glass stabilize over time.
8/11
8/11
At the molecular level, glass looks like a liquid in suspended animation, with molecules that curiously cannot flow.
5/11
5/11
November 6, 2025 at 7:45 PM
At the molecular level, glass looks like a liquid in suspended animation, with molecules that curiously cannot flow.
5/11
5/11
When you cool a liquid, it will either crystallize or harden into glass. Which of the two happens depends on the substance and on the subtleties of the process, as glassblowers have learned through trial and error over thousands of years.
3/11
3/11
November 6, 2025 at 7:45 PM
When you cool a liquid, it will either crystallize or harden into glass. Which of the two happens depends on the substance and on the subtleties of the process, as glassblowers have learned through trial and error over thousands of years.
3/11
3/11
Glass is a mysterious substance. 🧵
November 6, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Glass is a mysterious substance. 🧵
These are Mooney images, research tools made by turning contrast up on images until they’re nearly unrecognizable. Recently, researchers used these images to study what happens in the brain during a sudden realization. Can you guess what they are?
November 6, 2025 at 7:45 PM
These are Mooney images, research tools made by turning contrast up on images until they’re nearly unrecognizable. Recently, researchers used these images to study what happens in the brain during a sudden realization. Can you guess what they are?
Recently, Gašper Beguš and his team put several large language models through a litany of tests — including having them generalize the rules of a made-up language. Most failed to match human linguistic ability. But one LLM greatly exceeded expectations. www.quantamagazine.org/in-a-first-a...
November 5, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Recently, Gašper Beguš and his team put several large language models through a litany of tests — including having them generalize the rules of a made-up language. Most failed to match human linguistic ability. But one LLM greatly exceeded expectations. www.quantamagazine.org/in-a-first-a...
Loop quantum gravity has problems. Particle scattering seems to general infinite amounts of low-energy radiation. Solving the equations is extremely complicated. And there’s a lack of experimental support. But Carlo Rovelli sees hope on the horizon. www.quantamagazine.org/carlo-rovell...
November 4, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Loop quantum gravity has problems. Particle scattering seems to general infinite amounts of low-energy radiation. Solving the equations is extremely complicated. And there’s a lack of experimental support. But Carlo Rovelli sees hope on the horizon. www.quantamagazine.org/carlo-rovell...
To this theoretical physicist, time is not a basic ingredient of reality. www.quantamagazine.org/carlo-rovell...
November 3, 2025 at 9:04 PM
To this theoretical physicist, time is not a basic ingredient of reality. www.quantamagazine.org/carlo-rovell...
Meet the Krause corpuscle, the neuron responsible for sensing vibrations of sexual touch. It is most sensitive to frequencies around 40 to 80 hertz, which is precisely the range of vibrating sex toys.
www.quantamagazine.org/touch-our-mo...
www.quantamagazine.org/touch-our-mo...
November 2, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Meet the Krause corpuscle, the neuron responsible for sensing vibrations of sexual touch. It is most sensitive to frequencies around 40 to 80 hertz, which is precisely the range of vibrating sex toys.
www.quantamagazine.org/touch-our-mo...
www.quantamagazine.org/touch-our-mo...
Recursion, the linguistic ability to embed phrases within phrases, is perhaps the defining characteristic of the human mind. It also shows up in nature. www.quantamagazine.org/in-a-first-a...
November 1, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Recursion, the linguistic ability to embed phrases within phrases, is perhaps the defining characteristic of the human mind. It also shows up in nature. www.quantamagazine.org/in-a-first-a...
Sharks are an ancient and diverse lineage with great variations in size and shape, and they occupy a huge variety of ecological niches, from reef dwellers to bottom feeders to open-ocean predators.
www.quantamagazine.org/shark-data-s...
www.quantamagazine.org/shark-data-s...
November 1, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Sharks are an ancient and diverse lineage with great variations in size and shape, and they occupy a huge variety of ecological niches, from reef dwellers to bottom feeders to open-ocean predators.
www.quantamagazine.org/shark-data-s...
www.quantamagazine.org/shark-data-s...
“If your heart is beating really strong and fast, and you’re in a fear state, you don’t want to be sensitive to pain. You want to be able to run over broken twigs and glass to escape the threat,” said neuroscientist Sarah Garfinkel. www.quantamagazine.org/how-your-hea...
October 31, 2025 at 10:59 PM
“If your heart is beating really strong and fast, and you’re in a fear state, you don’t want to be sensitive to pain. You want to be able to run over broken twigs and glass to escape the threat,” said neuroscientist Sarah Garfinkel. www.quantamagazine.org/how-your-hea...
October 31, 2025 at 10:58 PM
