Science
-
A golden age of maths is dawning and mathematicians are freaking out
I am attempting to solve a mathematical conundrum that has stumped many of humanity’s greatest thinkers. I have zero mathematical training, apart from a distant undergraduate physics degree, which should put my odds of success at slim to none. But I also have a trick up my sleeve – a kind of mathematical genie that can conjure arcane secrets seemingly…
Read More » -
Does gravity create reality? A shocking path to a theory of everything
Sometimes, you work tirelessly on a problem, only to realise you have been going about it all backwards. Imagine trying to fit a massive antique piano through a tiny doorway. You have tried everything – rotating it, removing the legs, forceful shoving – but you just can’t get it to fit. Eventually, you realise it is easier to construct a…
Read More » -
Mystery of the ancient giant stone jars of Laos may have been solved
The plain of jars in Laos Alvov/Shutterstock The remains of at least 37 people have been found interred in a giant stone jar in Laos, reshaping our understanding of one of South-East Asia’s most puzzling ancient landscapes. Around the remote Xieng Khouang plateau in central Laos sit thousands of giant stone jars, some 3 metres high and weighing several tonnes.…
Read More » -
A new tectonic plate boundary could be forming in southern Africa
Aerial view of the Kafue Rift southern boundary fault zone. The hot springs where researchers sampled gases lie in the green thickets Michael Daly The African continent may have begun tearing itself apart in a new location. Gases emerging from an arc of hot springs in Zambia appear to be coming from deep below Earth’s crust, in a sign that…
Read More » -
Quantum computers simulated their biggest molecule yet – with help
An IBM quantum computer at Cleveland Clinic, one of the pair used to simulate a record-breakingly large molecule Kincaid/IBM One of the most promising uses for quantum computers is to simulate proteins that could help us discover new drugs, but these devices are currently too error-prone for the task. However, two quantum computers have now broken a simulation record –…
Read More » -
Coral reefs on a remote archipelago shrugged off a massive heatwave
The Houtman Abrolhos Islands, off Western Australia, where corals appear to be exceptionally heat-tolerant Bill Bachman/Alamy Coral reefs on a chain of islands off Western Australia were almost untouched by a prolonged heatwave that devastated corals in other regions in early 2025. Researchers hope that learning the secret of extreme heat tolerance in these corals will help to protect reefs…
Read More » -
Diamonds are surprisingly elastic when you make them tiny
An artist’s impression of nanodiamonds KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Alamy Diamonds are forever, but if you make them ultrasmall, they can get a little squishy. An experiment with some of the smallest diamonds ever studied has now revealed why they become surprisingly elastic when they are ultrasmall. “Bulk diamonds are widely known for extreme stiffness and hardness. At the nanoscale, things…
Read More » -
The green solution to climate change isn’t happening – and that’s good
The Drax Power Station in the north of England Ian Lamond/Alamy You’ve probably seen those nice graphs showing carbon dioxide levels and temperatures falling towards the end of the century. How is this miracle meant to be achieved? The idea is that we harvest plants, burn them for energy and then capture and store the CO2. Voila, problem solved! Except…
Read More » -
Iodised salt has become uncool but many of us need to eat more iodine
Boring old iodised table salt should make a comeback Tatjana Baibakova/Alamy When I was at uni, I had a biology lecturer who was obsessed with iodine, and whose life’s work had been tackling global dietary deficiencies. He urged us to always use iodised salt, telling us it had raised the IQ of whole nations and was one of the greatest…
Read More » -
Food shock is inevitable due to the Iran war – and it could get bad
Food prices are expected to rise later this year dpa picture alliance/Alamy Global food prices hit their highest levels on record after the 1970s energy crisis, triggered by conflict in the Middle East, once inflation is corrected for. Could we be headed for a new record – the worst food shock ever – as fuel, fertiliser and pesticide prices skyrocket…
Read More »