What is chaos? A complex systems scientist explains
Chaos evokes images of the dinosaurs running wild in Jurassic Park, or my friend's toddler ravaging the living room.
Mathematics
Oct 7, 2021
0
6
Page 36 - The Conversation
Lightweight of periodic table plays big role in life on Earth
Although hydrogen is the lightweight of the chemical elements, it packs a real punch when it comes to its role in life and its potential as a solution to some of the world's challenges. As we celebrate the 150th anniversary ...
Materials Science
Mar 4, 2019
0
8
How Neanderthal language differed from modern human—they probably didn't use metaphors
The Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) fascinate researchers and the general public alike. They remain central to debates about the nature of the genus Homo (the broad biological classification that humans and their relatives ...
Archaeology
May 21, 2024
4
139
How to test the twin paradox without using a spaceship
Forget about anti-ageing creams and hair treatments. If you want to stay young, get a fast spaceship. That is what Einstein's Theory of Relativity predicted a century ago, and it is commonly known as "twin paradox".
General Physics
Apr 16, 2014
973
2
How a one night stand in the Ice Age affects us all today
Over the past half decade, ancient DNA research has revealed some surprising aspects to our evolutionary history during the past 50,000 years.
Archaeology
Oct 8, 2015
0
1185
Evolution doesn't proceed in a straight line, so why draw it that way?
Evolution doesn't follow a preordained, straight path. Yet images abound that suggest otherwise. From museum displays to editorial cartoons, evolution is depicted as a linear progression from primitive to advanced.
Evolution
Sep 3, 2019
1
93
A little number theory makes the times table a thing of beauty
Most people will probably remember the times tables from primary school quizzes. There might be patterns in some of them (the simple doubling of the 2 times table) but others you just learnt by rote. And it was never quite ...
Mathematics
Jun 8, 2015
1
123
The biggest sperm come in the smallest packages—and other surprising facts about male sex cells
Most people probably think of sperm as the microscopic tadpole-like things wriggling around in human semen. But there is an astonishing amount of diversity in the size, shape and number of sperm produced by male animals. ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 19, 2015
0
75
Antarctica's 'doomsday' glacier: How its collapse could trigger global floods and swallow islands
The massive Thwaites glacier in West Antarctica contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by 65cm if it were to completely collapse. And, worryingly, recent research suggests that its long-term stability is doubtful ...
Environment
Dec 23, 2021
4
195
Physics has long failed to explain life—but researchers are testing a groundbreaking new theory in the lab
Modern physics can explain everything from the spin of the tiniest particle to the behavior of entire galaxy clusters. But it can't explain life. There's simply no formula to explain the difference between a living lump of ...
General Physics
Oct 25, 2023
9
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