The Joy of x

Eve Marder’s research into the plasticity and resilience of nervous systems finds universal principles guiding life’s responses to stress. The post Eve Marder on the Crucial Resilience of Neurons first appeared on Quanta Magazine

The secret to making a qubit for future quantum computers might depend on knowing how to tie knots in unusual materials, argues the physicist Charlie Marcus. The post Charlie Marcus Knows That Quantum Facts Aren’t Complicated first appeared on Quanta Magazine

To a dynamicist like Amie Wilkinson, understanding the universe is about knowing all the right moves. The post Amie Wilkinson Sees the Dynamic Chaos in Puff Pastry first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Anesthesia is very different from sleep — which is why it offers unique opportunities for studying the human brain, says the physician-researcher and statistician Emery Brown. The post Emery Brown and the Truth About Anesthesia first appeared on Quanta Magazine

To build a general artificial intelligence, we may need to know more about our own minds, argues the computer scientist Melanie Mitchell. The post Melanie Mitchell Takes AI Research Back to Its Roots first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Quantitative models built by the mathematical biologist Trachette Jackson can make cancer therapies safer and more effective. The post Trachette Jackson Fights Cancer With Math first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Rediet Abebe, a computer scientist and assistant professor at UC Berkeley, blends her love for mathematics with a mission for social justice. She shares her journey from Ethiopia to Harvard and the stark realities of socioeconomic inequalities. The discussion includes using algorithms to tackle issues faced by marginalized communities and the nuances of financial resilience among those living in poverty. Abebe also addresses the importance of aligning math-like optimization with social policies to drive equity and awareness in academia.

The mathematician Federico Ardila takes a creative approach to the search for useful answers hiding among inconceivably huge numbers of possible ones. The post Federico Ardila on Math, Music and the Space of Possibilities first appeared on Quanta Magazine

The computational physicist Sharon Glotzer finds unifying principles that structure the chaotic dance of the particles that make up matter. The post Sharon Glotzer’s Deep Curiosity About Order From Chaos first appeared on Quanta Magazine

The theoretical physicist Frank Wilczek explained what holds atomic nuclei together, and he is still pushing at the limits of what the standard model can tell us. The post Frank Wilczek on the Strong Force, Quarks and Dark Matter first appeared on Quanta Magazine