Technology
A Grad Student’s Side Project Proves a Prime Number Conjecture
Jared Duker Lichtman proved a long-standing conjecture relating prime numbers to a broad class of “primitive” sets. To his adviser,...
Some Scientists Coined a New Name for Summer: ‘Danger Season’
Hurricanes, heat, fires, smoke, drought. Is it time to stop making the hottest part of the year seem cool?
How the Sugars In Spit Tame the Body’s Unruly Fungi
Mucus keeps the microbiome healthy. Now scientists have clues about how it stops good microbes from going bad.
Black Carbon From Rocket Launches Will Heat the Atmosphere
Researchers say that the rising number of space launches around the world will warm parts of the atmosphere and thin the ozone layer.
Can Democracy Include a World Beyond Humans?
A truly planetary politics would extend decisionmaking to animals, ecosystems, and potentially AI.
Particle Hunters Can Spend a Lifetime Searching for Answers
In physics, experiments to answer the big questions can take decades to run—and might not produce any findings at all.
The US Can Halve Its Emissions by 2030—if It Wants To
The economics are clear: Renewables are cheap enough for the country to rapidly decarbonize. Less evident is the political will to...
It’s Hard to Do Climate Research When Your Glacier Is Melting
Glaciers offer unparalleled insight into the world’s climate. But as they melt, the data they offer is less useful—and more dangerous...
How Lost Hikers Can Send an SOS to Space
The SARSAT satellite system is a kind of celestial lifeguard for explorers, boaters, and aviators who might be in need of search and...
When Covid Came for Provincetown
In a queer vacation hot spot on Cape Cod, an ad hoc community proved that Americans can stifle large outbreaks—if they want to.
