Tessellations Hint at How 2D Materials Self-Assemble

Plus: Another Ramsey problem breakthrough; A faster algorithm for testing group isomorphism; The blood-brain barrier; New Quanta Science Podcast

Math and Science News from Quanta Magazine View this email in your browser MATERIALS SCIENCE | ALL TOPICS   The Simple Geometry That Predicts Molecular Mosaics By ELISE CUTTS By treating molecules as geometric tessellations, scientists devised a new way to forecast how 2D materials might self-assemble. Read the article COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITY   Computer Scientists Inch Closer to Major Algorithmic Goal By KEVIN HARTNETT A new paper finds a faster method for determining when two mathematical groups are the same. Read the article Related:  Landmark Algorithm Breaks 30-Year Impasse By Erica Klarreich (2015) GRAPH THEORY   Mathematicians Discover Novel Way to Predict Structure in Graphs By JORDANA CEPELEWICZ Mathematicians probe the limits of randomness in new work estimating quantities called Ramsey numbers. Read the blog Related:  A Very Big Small Leap Forward in Graph Theory By Leila Sloman EXPLAINERS   How the Brain Protects Itself From Blood-Borne Threats By YASEMIN SAPLAKOGLU To buffer the brain against menaces in the blood, a dynamic, multi-tiered system of protection is built into the brain's blood vessels. Read the blog Related:  Sleeping Brain Waves Draw a Healthy Bath for Neurons By Elena Renken (2019) QUANTA SCIENCE PODCAST   The Cause of Depression Is Probably Not What You Think Story by JOANNA THOMPSON; Podcast hosted by SUSAN VALOT 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. Listen to the podcast Read the article Around the Web Supernova-Sized Catastrophes If the nearby star Betelgeuse eventually goes supernova, it won't be catastrophic for life on Earth. But other supernovas can (and have) caused mass extinction events, as Matt O'Dowd explains for PBS Space Time. Muons produced during supernovas can blast through the atmosphere and damage living cells. In 2019, Rebecca Boyle reported for Quanta on research that suggested that cosmic muons were responsible for the extinction of many large prehistoric animals, including the megalodon. Single-Photon Photosynthesis Scientists have finally observed what they've long suspected: Only one photon is needed to kick off photosynthesis, as Emily Conover reports for Science News. The new technique used to observe the onset of photosynthesis could also be used to investigate the role of quantum physics in biology. Peter Byrne spoke with one of the authors, K. Birgitta Whaley, about this connection for Quanta in 2013. 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