Understanding the properties of molecules and materials, as well as their chemical synthesis pathways, requires a thorough knowledge of chemical bonding. Deep ...

If you think of a single atom as a grain of sand, then a wavelength of visible light—which is a thousand times larger than ...

How few corners can a shape have and still tile the plane?” mathematician Gábor Domokos asked me over pizza. His deceptively simple question was about the geometry of tilings, also called ...

Micro decisions can have macro consequences. A soft matter physicist reveals how interactions within simple cellular collectives can lead to emergent physical traits. Biofilms lead lives of liminality ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. When Todd Sacktor was about to turn 3, his 4-year-old sister died of leukemia. “An empty bedroom next to mine. A swing set with two ...

John Etnyre receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Elaine M. Hubbard Distinguished Faculty Award When you look at your surrounding environment, it might seem like you’re living ...

Scientists have created a glowing molecular probe that lets them watch marine microbes digest sugars in real time. This breakthrough tool reveals how algae and bacteria interact in the ocean and how ...