Is 'attention' the essence of intelligence?

Three galaxies hint at what dark matter is — and what it isn't; Q&A with computer scientist Mortitz Hardt; New podcast episodes

Math and Science News from Quanta Magazine View this email in your browser QUALIA | ALL TOPICS   Is ‘Attention’ the Essence of Intelligence? By NATALIE WOLCHOVER A mathematical mechanism enables AI models to process language at scale, undergirding the current AI revolution. Our columnist asks: Why is attention the key? Read the article DARK MATTER   Triplet of ‘Ghostly’ Galaxies Hints at What Dark Matter Is — and Isn’t By ROBIN GEORGE ANDREWS A collision may have left these galaxies without dark matter. That spells trouble for alternative gravity theories. Read the article ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE   He Wants AI Benchmarking To Be a Science, Not a Dark Art By JOHN PAVLUS Moritz Hardt, author of a new book on benchmarks, believes these “standardized tests” for artificial intelligence are fundamentally broken — but not unfixable. Read the article THE JOY OF WHY   How Do Fungi Keep the Planet Healthy? Podcast hosted by STEVE STROGATZ and JANNA LEVIN Evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers explains how fungal networks in soil trade nutrients with plants, help keep carbon underground, and strike bargains without having a brain. Listen (Apple) | Listen (Spotify) Read the article THE QUANTA PODCAST   How Math Brings Together Classical Chaos, Quantum Mechanics, and Fractals Podcast hosted by SAMIR PATEL with SHALMA WEGSMAN The math, which combines chaos, quantum theory, and infinitely complex fractal structures, has been called a “foundational result.” Listen (Apple) | Listen (Spotify) Read the article Follow Quanta Unsubscribe | About Quanta | My Bookmarks Privacy Policy | Terms | Contact Us   Copyright © 2026 Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent division of the Simons Foundation Simons Foundation 160 5th Avenue, 7th Floor New York, NY 10010