How Failure Has Made Mathematics Stronger

By JORDANA CEPELEWICZ

The topologist Danny Calegari discusses the inevitability of disappointment in math, and how to learn from it.

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Drugs that target the neurotransmitter serotonin have long been prescribed to treat depression. Now the spotlight is turning to other aspects of brain chemistry. In this episode, the neuropharmacologist John Krystal shares findings that are overturning our understanding of depression.

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PARTICLE PHYSICS

The S-Matrix Is the Oracle Physicists Turn To in Times of Crisis

By MATT VON HIPPEL

Particle physicists in search of the next theory of reality are consulting a mathematical structure that they know will never fail: a table of possibilities known as the S-matrix.

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Related:
Physicists Uncover
Geometric 'Theory Space'
By Natalie Wolchover (2017)

NEURAL NETWORKS

AI Needs Enormous Computing Power. Could Light-Based Chips Help?

By AMOS ZEEBERG

Optical neural networks, which use photons instead of electrons, have advantages over traditional systems. They also face major obstacles.

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Related:
New Chip Expands
the Possibilities for AI
By Allison Whitten (2022)

NEUROSCIENCE

Electric 'Ripples' in the Resting Brain Tag Memories for Storage

By YASEMIN SAPLAKOGLU

New experiments reveal how the brain chooses which memories to save and add credence to advice about the importance of rest.

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Related:
Memories Help Brains Recognize
New Events Worth Remembering
By Yasemin Saplakoglu (2023)