‘Embryo Models’ Challenge What It Means to Be Human

Plus: Flow proof unlocks dynamical systems; Fake data for real AI; Mysteries of the strong force; Rogue waves on The Joy of Why

Math and Science News from Quanta Magazine View this email in your browser DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY | ALL TOPICS   'Embryo Models' Challenge Legal, Ethical and Biological Concepts By PHILIP BALL With embryolike constructs built entirely from stem cells, researchers can revolutionize our understanding of development. But how close to an embryo is too close? Read the article DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS   Flow Proof Helps Mathematicians Find Stability in Chaos By JORDANA CEPELEWICZ A series of new papers describes how to fully characterize key dynamical systems with relatively little data. Read the article Related:  A Mathematician Whose Only Constant Is Change By Kevin Hartnett (2019) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE   Neural Networks Need Data to Learn. Even If It's Fake. By AMOS ZEEBERG Real data can be hard to get, so researchers are turning to synthetic data to train their artificial intelligence systems. Read the blog Related:  Machines Learn Better if We Teach Them the Basics By Max G. Levy NUCLEAR PHYSICS   A New Experiment Casts Doubt on the Leading Theory of the Nucleus By KATIE McCORMICK By measuring inflated helium nuclei, physicists have challenged our best understanding of the force that binds protons and neutrons. Read the blog Related:  Inside the Proton, the 'Most Complicated Thing You Could Possibly Imagine' By Charlie Wood and Merrill Sherman (2022) THE JOY OF WHY   What Causes Giant Rogue Waves? Podcast hosted by STEVEN STROGATZ Once dismissed as myths, monstrous rogue waves that tower over ships and appear without warning are real. Wave-science researcher Ton van den Bremer and Steven Strogatz discuss how rogue waves can form in relatively calm seas and whether their threat can be predicted. Listen to the podcast Read the transcript Around the Web Constant Distress Astronomers have spotted a distant supernova that was magnified by gravitational lensing. Gravitationally lensed supernovas could provide a measure of the oft-debated value of the expansion rate of the universe called the Hubble constant. Jennifer Ouellette reports for Ars Technica. Since it was first noticed, the "Hubble tension" — the discrepancy in estimates of the expansion rate given by methods that seem equally valid — has only deepened. In 2020, Natalie Wolchover wrote for Quanta about a precise measurement that amplified the tension. Cetacean Clues Toward Cancer Aversion Bowhead whales live for more than 200 years. New research suggests that the key to their longevity might also help them grow big without getting cancers: an exceptional ability to repair damaged DNA. Meghan Rosen reports for Science News. When animals are large, their bodies undergo more cell divisions, which presents more opportunities for cancerous mutations. In 2017, Viviane Callier wrote for Quanta about how elephants protect themselves from cancer as they grow. 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