Science

This fluorescent technique can precisely measure minuscule distancesSteffen J. Sahl / Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences The tiniest “ruler” ever is so precise that it can measure the width of a single atom within a protein. Proteins and other large molecules, or macromolecules, sometimes fold into the wrong shape, and this can affect the way they function. Some structural changes even play a role in conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. To understand this process, it is important to determine the exact distance between atoms – and clusters of atoms – within these macromolecules, says Steffen Sahl at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Germany. “We wanted to go from a microscope that maps positions of macromolecules relative ...

Climber on Torre Egger in the Chaltén Massif, Patagonia. Photo: Rolando Garibotti Mountaineers contend with the prospect of death during their climbing excursions in the Patagonian Andes, and have created a sporting culture attuned to the risks they face. Climate change, however, has begun to transform the conditions that mountaineers confront, raising questions about adaptation amidst efforts to limit injuries and fatalities. During the 19th century, mountaineering emerged as a competitive sport in Europe, but faced significant social criticisms related to its risk-taking behavior. Climbers justified their sport by highlighting its contributions to national glory, imperial competition and the advancement of scientific knowledge in geology, physiology and glaciology. Rather than acc...

John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton share the 2024 Nobel prize in physicsChristine Olsson/TT/Shutterstock The 2024 Nobel prize in physics has been awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton for their work on artificial neural networks and the fundamental algorithms that let machines learn, which are key to today’s large language models like ChatGPT. “I’m flabbergasted, I had no idea this would happen,” Hinton told the Nobel committee upon hearing the prize announcement. “I’m very surprised.” Hinton, who has been vocal about his fears around the development of artificial intelligence, also reiterated that he regretted the work he had done. “In the same circumstances, I would do the same again, but I am worried that the overall consequences of this might be systems more ...

Most physicists operate under the assumption that there is a world out there that is entirely independent of us, an objective reality in which more-or-less well-defined things behave according to immutable physical laws. Yet over the past century, ever since the development of quantum theory, there have been discombobulating questions about the role of observers – not least ourselves – in the makings of reality. These questions are often brushed under the carpet, but Daniele Oriti, a theorist at the Complutense University of Madrid, prefers to confront them. Arguably, he has been pushed to do so by his work on one of the foremost challenges in modern physics: creating a quantum theory of gravity. The difficulty here is reconciling the inherently smooth picture of spac...

Participants in Friday’s event in Morningside Park gather to ceremonially hit a button to turn the park’s waterfall on. Photo: Brandon Vallejo Leaders from Columbia and New York City’s Department of Parks & Recreation gathered in Morningside Park on Friday to celebrate a major partnership to clear the park’s pond of toxic algal blooms, repair broken water pumps and restore its iconic waterfall. For the first time in seven years (other than brief testing periods), the waterfall sprang to life, and a stream of water sprayed over a wall of rocks before cascading into the pond below. The event was part of a project, initiated last year, that aims to use Columbia’s expertise to restore Morningside Park’s waterfall and pond, and to make New York City’s parks more resilient in the face...