Plus: An infinite array of potential black holes; a quantum time flip (sort of); the math of good board games; algebra-enabled space communication

Math and Science News from Quanta Magazine View this email in your browser NEUROSCIENCE | ALL TOPICS   The Cause of Depression Is Probably Not What You Think By JOANNA THOMPSON Depression has often been blamed on low levels of serotonin in the brain. That answer is insufficient, but alternatives are coming into view and changing our understanding of the disease. Read the article MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS   Mathematicians Find an Infinity of Possible Black Hole Shapes By STEVE NADIS In three-dimensional space, the surface of a black hole must be a sphere. But a new result shows that in higher dimensions, an infinite number of configurations are possible. Read the article Related:  At Long Last, Mathematical Proof That Black Holes Are Stable By Steve Nadis (2022) QUANTUM PHYSICS   How Quantum Physicists 'Flipped Time' (and How They Didn't) By CHARLIE WOOD Two teams have made photons act as if time were simultaneously flowing in two directions. The experiments demonstrate a way to potentially boost the performance of quantum devices. Read the blog Related:  Quantum Mischief Rewrites the Laws of Cause and Effect By Natalie Wolchover (2021) Q&A   The Computer Scientist Who Finds Life Lessons in Games By BEN BRUBAKER In Shang-Hua Teng's work, theoretical and practical questions have long been intertwined. Now he's turning his focus to the impractical. Read the interview Related:  The Computer Scientist Who Parlays Failures Into Breakthroughs By Mordechai Rorvig (2022) QUANTIZED ACADEMY   The Basic Algebra Behind Secret Codes and Space Communication By PATRICK HONNER Whether you're passing secret notes in class or downloading images from a space probe, Reed-Solomon codes offer an ingenious way to embed information and correct for errors. Read the column Related:  How Mathematical Curves Enable Advanced Communication By Jordana Cepelewicz (2022) Around the Web I Saw the Sign Humans can correctly guess the meaning behind the gestures made by wild chimps and bonobos, reports Victoria Gill for BBC News. Researchers think that our ancestors used similar gestures to communicate before they developed language. Gestures are not only useful tools for communication. Mounting evidence suggests that they serve an important role in perception and cognition, too. Raleigh McElvery wrote about this for Quanta in 2019. Io's Ire  A recent eruption on Jupiter's intensely volcanic moon Io emitted a mix of chemicals that startled observers, reports Oliver Whang for The New York Times. Studying it could help scientists better understand Io's volcanoes and their interactions with Jupiter. Gas emitted by Io's volcanoes can get captured by Jupiter's magnetic fields and power the planet's auroras. In 2021 Robin George Andrews reported for Quanta that these auroras are why Jupiter is unexpectedly warm. Follow Quanta Simons Foundation 160 5th Avenue, 7th Floor New York, NY 10010 Unsubscribe | About Quanta Privacy Policy | Terms | Contact Us   Copyright © 2023 Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent division of the Simons Foundation