The Quanta Podcast

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Mathematician Hurls Structure and Disorder Into Century-Old Problem Feb 03, 2022

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A new paper shows how to create longer disordered strings than mathematicians had thought possible, proving that a well-known recent conjecture is “spectacularly wrong.”

The post Mathematician Hurls Structure and Disorder Into Century-Old Problem first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Researchers Defeat Randomness to Create Ideal Code Jan 20, 2022

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By carefully constructing a multidimensional and well-connected graph, a team of researchers has finally created a long-sought locally testable code that can immediately betray whether it’s been corrupted.

The post Researchers Defeat Randomness to Create Ideal Code first appeared on Quanta Magazine

The Brain Processes Speech in Parallel With Other Sounds Jan 06, 2022

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Scientists thought that the brain’s hearing centers might just process speech along with other sounds. But new work suggests that speech gets some special treatment very early on.

The post The Brain Processes Speech in Parallel With Other Sounds first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Biologists Rethink the Logic Behind Cells' Molecular Signals Dec 23, 2021

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The molecular signaling systems of complex cells are nothing like simple electronic circuits. The logic governing their operation is riotously complex — but it has advantages.

The post Biologists Rethink the Logic Behind Cells’ Molecular Signals first appeared on Quanta Magazine

A Massive Subterranean ‘Tree’ Is Moving Magma to Earth’s Surface Dec 09, 2021

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Deep in the mantle, a branching plume of intensely hot material appears to be the engine powering vast volcanic activity.

The post A Massive Subterranean ‘Tree’ Is Moving Magma to Earth’s Surface first appeared on Quanta Magazine

One Lab’s Quest to Build Space-Time Out of Quantum Particles Nov 24, 2021

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For over two decades, physicists have pondered how the fabric of space-time may emerge from some kind of quantum entanglement. In Monika Schleier-Smith’s lab at Stanford University, the thought experiment is becoming real.

The post One Lab’s Quest to Build Space-Time Out of Quantum Particles first appeared on Quanta Magazine

The New Thermodynamic Understanding of Clocks Nov 11, 2021

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Investigations of the simplest possible clocks have revealed their fundamental limitations — as well as insights into the nature of time itself.

The post The New Thermodynamic Understanding of Clocks first appeared on Quanta Magazine

The Brain Doesn’t Think the Way You Think It Does Oct 28, 2021

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Familiar categories of mental functions such as perception, memory and attention reflect our experience of ourselves, but they are misleading about how the brain works. More revealing approaches are emerging.

The post The Brain Doesn’t Think the Way You Think It Does first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Eternal Change for No Energy: A Time Crystal Finally Made Real Oct 14, 2021

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Like a perpetual motion machine, a time crystal forever cycles between states without consuming energy. Physicists claim to have built this new phase of matter inside a quantum computer.

How Many Numbers Exist? Infinity Proof Moves Math Closer to an Answer. Sep 30, 2021

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For 50 years, mathematicians have believed that the total number of real numbers is unknowable. A new proof suggests otherwise.

The post How Many Numbers Exist? Infinity Proof Moves Math Closer to an Answer. first appeared on Quanta Magazine

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