New Sphere-Packing Record Stems From an Unexpected Source

By JOSEPH HOWLETT

After just a few months of work, a complete newcomer to the world of sphere packing has solved one of its biggest open problems.

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Tony Tyson's cameras revealed the universe's dark contents. Now, with the Rubin Observatory's 3.2-billion-pixel camera, he's ready to study dark matter and dark energy in unprecedented detail.

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CRYPTOGRAPHY

Computer Scientists Figure Out How To Prove Lies

By ERICA KLARREICH

An attack on a fundamental proof technique reveals a glaring security issue for blockchains and other digital encryption schemes.

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THE QUANTA PODCAST

Is Gravity Just Rising Entropy?

Podcast hosted by SAMIR PATEL

What if gravity isn't a pull from mass, but a push from entropy? Contributing writer George Musser tells Samir Patel about his recent reporting on this idea on a new episode of The Quanta Podcast.

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THE JOY OF WHY

How Can Regional Models Advance Climate Science?

Podcast hosted by JANNA LEVIN
and STEVEN STROGATZ

Elfatih Eltahir explains why we need more local and social data, like disease spread and population growth, to better predict and address climate-related challenges.

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