Is Life Just Different?

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? The post Is Life Just Different? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

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We Know Simple Fluids Can Flow. Turns Out, Some Can Fracture.

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. The post We Know Simple Fluids Can Flow. Turns Out, Some Can Fracture. first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Rohini Subrahmanyam·Jul 10, 2026

Quanta Magazine

Will We Ever Find Alien Civilizations?

Astronomer David Kipping discusses why claims of extraterrestrial life keep dissolving under scrutiny, why we need a more statistically grounded approach to searching for life beyond Earth, and why it’s rational to believe that we may be alone. The post Will We Ever Find Alien Civilizations? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Janna Levin and Steven Strogatz·Jul 9, 2026

Quanta Magazine

Researchers Reveal the Power of ‘Quantum Proofs’

When checking that solutions to certain problems are correct, it turns out, you can’t get around the inherent complexity of the quantum world. The post Researchers Reveal the Power of ‘Quantum Proofs’ first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Ben Brubaker·Jul 6, 2026

Quanta Magazine

Astrophysicists Puzzle Over Webb’s New Universe

Faced with observations of early black holes and galaxies that weren’t expected to exist, scientists have come up with a wealth of new theories to explain them. Now they just need to figure out which ones are true. The post Astrophysicists Puzzle Over Webb’s New Universe first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Jay Bennett·Jul 2, 2026

Quanta Magazine

For the First Time, a Cell Built From Scratch Grows and Divides

Scientists built a synthetic cell that combines more lifelike properties than ever before — proof of concept that it’s possible to bring nonliving materials to life, or something close to it, in the lab. The post For the First Time, a Cell Built From Scratch Grows and Divides first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Yasemin Saplakoglu·Jul 1, 2026

Quanta Magazine

What Breaks a Cell’s Ribs Can Make It Stronger

The mechanical process of cell division exerts powerful, if microscopic, forces. How do the molecular machines that power it manage the strain? The post What Breaks a Cell’s Ribs Can Make It Stronger first appeared on Quanta Magazine

Jake Buehler·Jun 29, 2026