Four top mathematicians, Yu Deng, John Pardon, Jacob Tsimerman and Hong Wang, receive the prestigious Fields Medal for outstanding achievements in various areas of mathematics. Their work has significant implications for computer science, geometry, algebraic geometry, and quantum physics.
Scientists at the Simons Foundation's Flatiron Institute developed a new method that enables faster simulations of molecular behavior without sacrificing accuracy. The breakthrough could significantly reduce time and energy demands for simulations, impacting fields such as material design and drug interactions.
Researchers at the Flatiron Institute used mathematical models to understand how fruit fly sperm swim and interact in a small space. They found that individual sperm use a collective push to propel themselves forward, resulting in orderly flows.
The International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) 2026 will take place in Philadelphia from July 23 to July 30, featuring the announcement of Fields Medals and top talks on cutting-edge developments in mathematics. The conference will also explore the impact of artificial intelligence on mathematics.
Researchers at the Flatiron Institute and Boston University have developed a new technique using tensor networks to simulate complex quantum systems, demonstrating that classical computers can tackle previously thought-to-be-solvable-only-by-quantum-computers problems. This breakthrough opens new avenues for research on quantum dynamics.
Researchers directly imaged paired electrons causing electric current to flow without resistance at sufficiently low temperatures. The experiment revealed that the paired atoms moved in a synchronized dance, with their positions dependent on those of other pairs.
Researchers discovered a star in the Andromeda Galaxy that vanished without going supernova, instead collapsing directly into a black hole. The team's analysis revealed the process of stellar collapse and provided evidence for convection's role in shaping a black hole's outer layers.
Researchers at the Flatiron Institute and their collaborators applied an active liquid crystal theory to understand how chromosomes are separated during cell division. The study found that the theory largely succeeds in predicting how spindles self-organize, using a combination of light microscopy and electron microscopy data.
Physicists used a quantum simulator to study the interaction of electrons in a material with a pseudogap state. They found that subtle magnetic patterns shape this mysterious phase of matter, which appears above the temperature at which it becomes superconducting.
Bacteria move through liquids using propellerlike tails called flagella, which alternate between clockwise and counterclockwise rotation. Researchers propose a tug-of-war mechanism instead of the traditional equilibrium 'domino effect' model, where proteins lining the tail exert pressure on their neighbors.
Two new books will be published by Quanta Books: Six Math Essentials by Terence Tao and Everything Is Fields by David Tong. The books invite readers on a tour of transformational ideas that have shaped our modern understanding of the universe, covering topics such as numbers, algebra, geometry, probability, analysis, and dynamics.
Groundbreaking simulations reveal how black holes create dazzling light shows by material zipping around them. The results could help explain hundreds of faintly luminous objects spotted in the early universe.
Astrophysicists used simulations to uncover the missing piece that previous studies had overlooked: magnetic fields. They found that strong magnetic fields can slow down a black hole and carry away some of its stellar mass, creating lighter and more slowly spinning black holes.
A newly detected black hole merger has provided the clearest evidence yet of how black holes work, confirming fundamental predictions by Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. The observations reveal insights into the properties of black holes and the nature of space-time, hinting at how quantum physics and general relativity fit together.
Researchers identified four distinct groups of autism linked to specific genetic variants and biological processes. The study's person-centered approach analyzing phenotypic and genotypic data from SPARK enabled more precise diagnoses and personalized support.
A new study published in Nature reveals that maintaining a healthy diet is the most effective way to rebuild a depleted gut microbiome, outperforming fecal transplants. The research shows that a Western-style diet can severely impact the microbiome's ability to defend against pathogens.
Researchers discovered that magnetar flares can produce the universe's heaviest elements, including gold and platinum. The discovery resolves a decades-long mystery concerning a bright flash of light and particles spotted by a space telescope in 2004.
The Simons Collaboration on Ecological Neuroscience (SCENE) is a 10-year program that will support projects aiming to uncover how the world shapes representations in the mind and brain. By integrating sensory and motor information, researchers hope to discover fundamental principles of cognition applicable across species.
The Flatiron Institute's Center for Computational Astrophysics is now supporting MESA's ongoing maintenance and development after its creator Bill Paxton steps down. The center has hired Philip Mocz as a full-time software engineer to ensure MESA's continued growth and impact in stellar physics.
A new model predicts how bacteria navigate obstacles to spread, informing strategies for curbing infections or designing better drug delivery. The model focuses on three surface states: uninterrupted movement, sliding along surfaces, and getting stuck in corners.
The partnership between Farrar, Straus and Giroux and the Simons Foundation aims to publish books that illuminate and elucidate modern science's central questions and ideas. The first book, Kevin Hartnett's The Proof in the Code, explores the emergence of Lean, a computer program transforming math and human-computer collaboration.
The Polymathic AI team has released two massive datasets for training artificial intelligence models to find and exploit transferable knowledge between seemingly disparate fields. The datasets include data from dozens of sources, covering astrophysics, biology, acoustics, chemistry, fluid dynamics, and more.
Scientists have found that black holes inherit their magnetic fields from their parent stars, specifically the surrounding disk of swirling matter during collapse. This discovery resolves a longstanding mystery and opens doors for further studies of jets.
Researchers used a classical computer and mathematical models to outperform a quantum computer on a task involving a two-dimensional quantum system of flipping magnets. The system displayed a behavior known as confinement, which had previously been seen only in one-dimensional systems.
A new study suggests that Betelgeuse's pulsing is due to an orbiting companion star known as the 'Betelbuddy'. The star acts like a snowplow, pushing light-blocking dust out of the way and making Betelgeuse appear brighter. Researchers used computer simulations to confirm this hypothesis, ruling out other possible causes.
Researchers discovered that dividing bacterial cells adapt to crowded environments by slowing their growth, forming a pattern of concentric circles. This process can inform strategies for controlling the spread of harmful microorganisms, such as in infections or manufacturing.
Researchers apply computational technique to understand the 'pseudogap', a long-standing puzzle in quantum physics with ties to superconductivity. The discovery helps scientists in their quest for room-temperature superconductivity, enabling lossless power transmission and faster MRI machines.
Researchers at the Flatiron Institute and colleagues used AI-powered approach, SimBIG, to estimate five cosmological parameters with precision. The method significantly improved previous results, yielding less than half the uncertainty and closely agreeing with other estimates based on observations.
Simulations predict that the violent deaths of rapidly rotating stars can create detectable gravitational waves, which could aid understanding of collapsars and black holes. The signals from these events are strong enough to be picked up by LIGO and may already exist in datasets.
A new model developed by Flatiron Institute researchers proposes that individual neurons exert more control over their surroundings, which could be replicated in artificial neural networks. This updated model treats neurons as tiny 'controllers' and may lead to better AI performance and efficiency.
Using the Hubbard model, researchers successfully re-created key features of cuprate superconductivity, which has puzzled scientists for decades. The breakthrough demonstrates the worth of simple models in understanding complex physics.
A team of astronomers and citizen scientists has discovered a planet in the habitable zone of an unusual star system, including two stars and potentially another exoplanet. The newly discovered planet, TOI 4633 c, boasts the second-longest orbit of any planet discovered with TESS data.
Egg cells generate internal fluid flows to transport nutrients, but how these flows arise has been a mystery. Researchers used computational models and experiments to understand the mechanics of twister-like fluid flows, revealing their origin from microtubules and molecular motors.
Astronomers have charted the largest-ever volume of the universe with a new map of active supermassive black holes, logging 1.3 million quasars in space and time. This map allows scientists to study dark matter and the universe's expansion by comparing distant quasars and their host galaxies.
A new unified model confirms that some long-lasting gamma-ray bursts are created in the aftermath of cosmic mergers that spawn an infant black hole surrounded by a giant disk of natal material. The findings explain recently observed long GRBs that astronomers couldn't link to collapsing stars.
Researchers have created the first-ever map of a single animal's early visual system, reconstructing it from the eyes to neurons in a tiny parasitic wasp. The study reveals complex behaviors such as flight in an insect with just 8,600 cells compared to the human brain's 171 billion.
Researchers have identified a mechanism explaining the characteristic properties of strange metals, which operate outside normal rules of electricity. The theory combines two properties: electron entanglement and nonuniform atomic arrangement, resulting in electrical resistance.
Astronomers have created the first computer simulations showing how convection in the cores of massive stars generates waves that result in flickering starlight. The effect is different from the visible twinkling of stars in the night sky and could be observed with improved telescopes.
Researchers with the NANOGrav collaboration have detected the gravitational wave background for the first time, revealing a perpetual chorus of ripples in space-time. The discovery is made possible by observing stars called pulsars that act as celestial metronomes.
A recent study published in Nature Neuroscience clarifies the connection between autism and the microbiome, identifying autism-specific metabolic pathways associated with particular human gut microbes. The analysis, which harmonized dozens of previously published datasets, reveals a common microbial signature distinguishing autistic fr...
Astrophysicists used AI to improve mass estimates of galaxy clusters by adding a simple term to an existing equation. The new equation downplays the importance of complex cores in calculations, providing more reliable mass inferences.
A new method developed by Flatiron Institute researchers can diagnose COVID-19 with near-perfect accuracy, even in asymptomatic patients. The technique monitors the body's molecular response to a viral attack and measures mRNA molecules to identify an immune response.
Astronomers have discovered two ghostly Goliath black holes just 750 light-years apart, closing in on a cataclysmic meeting. The estimated population of merging supermassive black holes may be surprisingly high, generating strong gravitational waves detectable by future telescopes.
Researchers discovered that 55 Cnc e orbits its star along the equator, unlike other planets in the system. This unique orbit likely formed when the planet fell toward its star over time, resulting in a scorching surface and interior with possible diamond formation.
The Simons Foundation is launching a $250 million initiative to fund bold, transformational neuroscience research over the next 10 years. The foundation aims to support cross-disciplinary collaborations that address fundamental questions about brain function, with an emphasis on innovative ideas and junior investigators.
Physicists used machine learning to compress a complex quantum problem into four equations, capturing the physics of electrons on a lattice with high accuracy. The approach could revolutionize how scientists investigate systems containing many interacting electrons and potentially aid in designing materials with sought-after properties.
Researchers analyzed genetic data from nearly 43,000 people with autism and identified a novel group of inherited genes of moderate effect. The study shows that these genes contribute to autism through inherited variants and are associated with other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Physicists have created a way to simulate quantum entanglement between interacting particles using neural networks and fictitious 'ghost' electrons. This approach enables accurate predictions of molecule behavior, which could lead to breakthroughs in pharmaceutical development and material design.
Researchers created a phase of matter that stores quantum information in two time dimensions, providing enhanced protection against errors. By using a quasi-rhythmic laser pulse sequence based on the Fibonacci sequence, physicists demonstrated a way to store quantum information with reduced error rates.
A new simulation suggests that energy released near a black hole's event horizon during magnetic field line reconnection powers the intense flares. The process involves interactions between the magnetic field and material falling into the black hole, releasing hot plasma particles that radiate away as photons.