For decades, astronomers treated the interstellar medium as a static backdrop to the goings-on of the universe. Now, a wave ...

A new topological model connects a centuries-old voting paradox to a surface with no distinct inside or outside.

Winning entries in the 2026 Nikon Small World competitions reveal the hidden interactions that govern everyday life.

To invade red blood cells, the deadly protists create temporary molecular portals that disappear behind them — doors we can now see in fine detail.

Unlike other recent AI proofs, this one has been unpacked by human experts. The implications, one mathematician said, are ...

Astronomer David Kipping discusses why claims of extraterrestrial life keep dissolving under scrutiny, why we need a more statistically grounded approach to searching for life beyond Earth, and why it ...

Astrophysicist Shep Doeleman explains how capturing the first image of a black hole required a telescope the size of the world, and why the next goal is to create a movie. The biggest breakthrough in ...

Steven Strogatz is a professor of mathematics at Cornell University, where he is the inaugural Susan and Barton Winokur Distinguished Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Mathematics.