Qualia

An invisible difference in 10% of humans poses deep mysteries in several fields at once.

The idea of ‘biological agency’ — that life devises its own goals and behaves accordingly — complicates our understanding of what it means to be alive. But does it serve a scientific purpose?

Plausible answers range from 17 to — in all seriousness — 995.5.

In the 1960s, worm-training experiments and their strange implications captivated the nation. Columnist Claire L. Evans follows the neuroscientists who attempted to recapture the magic.

At 25, Kurt Gödel proved there can never be a mathematical “theory of everything.” Columnist Natalie Wolchover explores the implications.

It should be possible, but getting there will require a greater understanding of subsurface physics.

The bacterial flagellar motor is finally understood after 50 years. In its workings, columnist Natalie Wolchover finds the essence of life.

Our tales of AI developing the will to survive, commandeer resources, and manipulate people say more about us than they do about language models.

Columnist Natalie Wolchover examines the latest developments in the “forever war” over whether string theory can describe the world.