Plus: A new look at the speed of evolution; Mantle rocks give a glimpse of life's origins; The 'accidental activist' who changed the face of math

Math and Science News from Quanta Magazine View this email in your browser GEOMETRY | ALL TOPICS   Mathematicians Identify the Best Versions of Iconic Shapes By KEVIN HARTNETT Researchers are discovering the shortest knots and fattest Möbius strips, among other "optimal shapes." Read the article EVOLUTION   Evolution: Fast or Slow? Lizards Help Resolve a Paradox. By CARRIE ARNOLD Why does natural selection appear to happen slowly on long timescales and quickly on short ones? A study of lizards offers new answers. Read the article Related:  Andreas Wagner Pursues the Secrets to Evolutionary Success By Veronique Greenwood (2023) EARTH SCIENCE   Deep Beneath Earth's Surface, Clues to Life's Origins By MAYA WEI-HAAS Last spring, scientists retrieved a trove of mantle rocks from underneath the Atlantic seafloor — a bounty that could help write the first chapter of life's story on Earth. Read the article Related:  Inside Ancient Asteroids, Gamma Rays Made Building Blocks of Life By John Rennie and Allison Parshall (2023) Q&A   The 'Accidental Activist' Who Changed the Face of Mathematics By BEN BRUBAKER Throughout her 60-year career, Lenore Blum has developed new perspectives on logic and computation while championing women in mathematics and computer science. Now consciousness is on her mind. Read the interview Follow Quanta Unsubscribe | About Quanta | My Bookmarks Privacy Policy | Terms | Contact Us   Copyright © 2024 Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent division of the Simons Foundation Simons Foundation 160 5th Avenue, 7th Floor New York, NY 10010