More than 30 years ago, Andreas Floer changed geometry. Now, two mathematicians have figured out how to extend his revolutionary perspective.  

Math and Science News from Quanta Magazine View this email in your browser GEOMETRY | ALL TOPICS   Mathematicians Transcend Geometric Theory of Motion By KELSEY HOUSTON-EDWARDS More than 30 years ago, Andreas Floer changed geometry. Now, two mathematicians have finally figured out how to extend his revolutionary perspective. Read the article NEUROSCIENCE   New Brain Maps Can Predict Behaviors By MONIQUE BROUILLETTE Rapid advances in large-scale connectomics are beginning to spotlight the importance of individual variations in the neural circuitry. They also highlight the limitations of "wiring diagrams" alone. Read the article Related:  'Functional Fingerprint' May Identify Brains Over a Lifetime by Raleigh McElvery (2018) FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS   Gravitational Waves Should Permanently Distort Space-Time By KATIE McCORMICK Physicists have linked the phenomenon to fundamental cosmic symmetries and a potential solution to the black hole information paradox. Read the blog Related:  The Most Famous Paradox in Physics Nears Its End by George Musser (2020) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE   AI Researchers Fight Noise by Turning to Biology By ALLISON WHITTEN Tiny amounts of interference can fool neural networks. Some researchers are looking to neuroscience for a fix. Read the blog Related:  Machine Learning Confronts the Elephant in the Room by Kevin Hartnett (2018) QUANTA SCIENCE PODCAST   A Massive Subterranean 'Tree' Is Moving Magma to Earth's Surface Podcast hosted by SUSAN VALOT; Story by ROBIN GEORGE ANDREWS Deep in the mantle, a branching plume of intensely hot material appears to be the engine powering vast volcanic activity. Listen to the podcast Read the article Around the Web DeepMind's Debut in Mathematics Google's DeepMind has made its first significant contributions to pure mathematics, Stephanie Pappas reports for Live Science. It has introduced a new conjecture in knot theory and made progress in proving another from representation theory. Automated "theorem provers" have aided mathematicians for a while, and this new work shows that the field's use of AI is likely to increase in the future. In 2020 Stephen Ornes wrote for Quanta about the field's possibly AI-centered future. Confronting a Quantum Cliché  The phrase "shut up and calculate" has long been used to deride physicists who adhere to the anti-realist Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. For Aeon, Jim Baggott clarifies that the early quantum pioneers in Copenhagen are not to blame for the "dogma of indifference" to the philosophy of quantum mechanics. Recently, researchers have had renewed interest in quantum theory's implications. In 2020 Anil Ananthaswamy reported for Quanta on a thought experiment that highlighted the peculiarities of quantum mechanics. This is one of a growing number of thought experiments (and real ones) aimed at demystifying the strangeness of the theory. Follow Quanta Simons Foundation 160 5th Avenue, 7th Floor New York, NY 10010 Unsubscribe | About Quanta Privacy Policy | Terms | Contact Us   Copyright © 2021 Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent division of the Simons Foundation