We know simple fluids can flow. Turns out, some can fracture.

Is life just different? Researchers reveal the power of ‘quantum proofs’; Finding alien civilizations; The Quanta Podcast"

Math and Science News from Quanta Magazine View this email in your browser FLUID DYNAMICS | ALL TOPICS   We Know Simple Fluids Can Flow. Turns Out, Some Can Fracture. By ROHINI SUBRAHMANYAM Researchers thought that what enabled complex fluids to break apart was their elasticity. But a crack in a nonelastic simple fluid has them questioning that idea. Read the article QUALIA   Is Life Just Different? By PHILIP BALL The idea of ‘biological agency’ — that life devises its own goals and behaves accordingly — complicates our understanding of what it means to be alive. But does it serve a scientific purpose? Read the article COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITY   Researchers Reveal the Power of ‘Quantum Proofs’ By BEN BRUBAKER When checking that solutions to certain problems are correct, it turns out, you can't get around the inherent complexity of the quantum world. Read the article THE JOY OF WHY   Will We Ever Find Alien Civilizations? Podcast hosted by STEVEN STROGATZ and JANNA LEVIN Astronomer David Kipping discusses why claims of extraterrestrial life keep dissolving under scrutiny and why we need a more statistically grounded approach to searching for life beyond Earth. Listen (Apple) | Listen (Spotify) Read the transcript THE QUANTA PODCAST   Will We Ever Be Able To Forecast Volcanic Eruptions Like Weather? Podcast hosted by HANNAH WATERS with ROBIN GEORGE ANDREWS Volcano forecasting can save countless lives. But most of the time warnings are more like educated guesses. Listen (Apple) | Listen (Spotify) Read the article Follow Quanta Unsubscribe | About Quanta | My Bookmarks Privacy Policy | Terms | Contact Us   Copyright © 2025 Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent division of the Simons Foundation Simons Foundation 160 5th Avenue, 7th Floor New York, NY 10010