Robots Made from Human Cells Can Move on Their Own and Heal Wounds
Researchers have created “anthrobots” out of human lung cells that are capable of moving independently and even healing damaged tissue
Stories by Philip Ball
Philip Ball is a science writer based in London. His next book, How Life Works (University of Chicago Press), will be published in the fall of 2023.
Why Women Earn Less Than Men: Economic Historian Wins Nobel for Work on Gender Pay Gap
Claudia Goldin mined 200 years of data to show that greater economic growth did not lead to wage parity or more women in the workplace
What Is the Future of Fusion Energy?
Nuclear fusion won’t arrive in time to fix climate change, but it could be essential for our future energy needs
Synthetic Morphology Lets Scientists Create New Life-Forms
The emerging field of synthetic morphology bends boundaries between natural and artificial life
Researchers Use Quantum ‘Telepathy’ to Win an ‘Impossible’ Game
A new playful demonstration of quantum pseudotelepathy could lead to advances in communication and computation
‘Momentum Computing’ Pushes Technology’s Thermodynamic Limits
Overheating is a major problem for today’s computers, but those of tomorrow might stay cool by circumventing a canonical boundary on information processing
U.S. Project Reaches Major Milestone toward Practical Fusion Power
In a world first, the National Ignition Facility has generated a “burning plasma,” a fusion reaction on the cusp of being self-sustaining
Anti-Vaccine Movement Could Prolong Coronavirus Pandemic, Researchers Warn
Studies of social networks show that opposition to vaccines is small but far-reaching—and growing
Close-Up Views of Tumors Reveal a New Cancer Biology
RNA sequencing has shown a previously unknown dimension to the way malignant cells work—which could lead to novel treatments
A Huge Scientific Effort Is Studying Notre Dame’s Ashes
Researchers are making use of an unprecedented opportunity to study the cathedral's innards
Supergravity Snags Super Award: $3-Million Special Breakthrough Prize
The theory, which emerged in the 1970s as a way to unify the fundamental forces of nature, has profoundly shaped the landscape of particle physics
Quantum Physics May Be Even Spookier Than You Think
A new experiment hints at surprising hidden mechanics of quantum superpositions
Does a Quantum Equation Govern Some of the Universe's Large Structures?
A new paper uses the Schrödinger equation to describe debris disks around stars and black holes—and provides an object lesson about what “quantum” really means
Exotic Physics Glimpsed for First Time in Lab Crystal
Researchers create a bizarre effect once thought to only occur in intense gravitational fields
Elusive Triangulene Created for the First Time
Researchers at IBM assembled the fragile molecule atom-by-atom using a specialized microscope
Why Humans Develop Sex Cells as Embryos--but Corals Don't
New insights might help unravel key secrets about safeguarding mitochondria
Google Moves Closer to a Universal Quantum Computer
Combining the best of analog and digital approaches could yield a full-scale multipurpose quantum computer
Scientists Claim to See a “New State” of Water
The familiar H2O molecule may take a strange, ringlike form
How Human Sacrifice Propped Up the Social Order
Understanding the role of state-sanctioned killing does more than illuminate the social evolution of “premodern” cultures
"Breathing Battery" Advance Holds Promise for Long-Range Electric Cars
New materials make prototype lithium–air batteries more durable
Complex Societies Evolved without Belief in All-Powerful Deity
The emergence of politically sophisticated societies may be assisted by faith in supernatural spirits but does not require "big god" religion
How 2 Pro-Nazi Nobelists Attacked Einstein’s "Jewish Science" [Excerpt]
In a chapter excerpted from his new book, science writer Philip Ball describes “Aryan physics” and other ludicrous ideas that accompanied the rise of Adolf Hitler
Sodium's Explosive Secrets Revealed
The spectacular reaction of alkali metals with water was poorly understood despite being a staple of chemistry classes
Game Theorists Crack Poker
An "essentially unbeatable" algorithm for Texas hold 'em points to strategies for solving real-life problems without having complete information