Quanta

Physicists are confronting their “nightmare scenario.” What does the absence of new particles suggest about how nature works?

The physicist-mathematician Miranda Cheng is working to harness a mysterious connection between string theory, algebra and number theory.

An early sign that neutrinos behave differently than antineutrinos suggests an answer to one of the biggest questions in physics.

The physicist Asimina Arvanitaki is thinking up ways to search gravitational wave data for evidence of dark matter particles orbiting black holes.

Scientists are exploring a mysterious pattern, found in birds’ eyes, boxes of marbles and other surprising places, that is neither regular nor random.

Richard Feynman’s famous diagrams embody a deep shift in thinking about how the universe is put together

The neuroscientist Sheena Josselyn can evoke and erase memories in mice using new tools that precisely control the brain.

At 28, Peter Scholze is uncovering deep connections between number theory and geometry.

Scientists have figured out how microbes can suck energy from rocks. Such life-forms might be more widespread than anyone anticipated.