The bird retina is one of the most energetically expensive tissues in the animal kingdom, yet it doesn’t use the energy advantage of oxygen. New research finally explains how this is possible. The post How the Bird Eye Was Pushed to an Evolutionary Extreme first appeared on Quanta Magazine
A graduate student recently harnessed the complexity of mathematical proofs to create a powerful new tool in cryptography. The post How Unknowable Math Can Help Hide Secrets first appeared on Quanta Magazine
It should be possible, but getting there will require a greater understanding of subsurface physics. The post Will We Ever Be Able To Forecast Volcanic Eruptions Like Weather? first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Armed with a slew of new instruments, physicists are closing in on one of nature’s oldest mysteries — and finding that storm clouds are seething with violent and unexpected phenomena. The post What Causes Lightning? The Answer Keeps Getting More Interesting. first appeared on Quanta Magazine
The sunlight-collecting organelles known as chloroplasts solve a packing problem: how to optimize photosynthesis without sustaining damage from dangerously intense rays. The post The Hidden Mathematical Dance Inside Plant Cells first appeared on Quanta Magazine
