Stories by Philip Ball

Scientists have recently discovered thousands of active RNA molecules that can control the human body

Researchers have created “anthrobots” out of human lung cells that are capable of moving independently and even healing damaged tissue

Claudia Goldin mined 200 years of data to show that greater economic growth did not lead to wage parity or more women in the workplace

Nuclear fusion won’t arrive in time to fix climate change, but it could be essential for our future energy needs

The emerging field of synthetic morphology bends boundaries between natural and artificial life

A new playful demonstration of quantum pseudotelepathy could lead to advances in communication and computation

Overheating is a major problem for today’s computers, but those of tomorrow might stay cool by circumventing a canonical boundary on information processing

In a world first, the National Ignition Facility has generated a “burning plasma,” a fusion reaction on the cusp of being self-sustaining

Studies of social networks show that opposition to vaccines is small but far-reaching—and growing

RNA sequencing has shown a previously unknown dimension to the way malignant cells work—which could lead to novel treatments

Researchers are making use of an unprecedented opportunity to study the cathedral's innards

The theory, which emerged in the 1970s as a way to unify the fundamental forces of nature, has profoundly shaped the landscape of particle physics

A new experiment hints at surprising hidden mechanics of quantum superpositions

A new paper uses the Schrödinger equation to describe debris disks around stars and black holes—and provides an object lesson about what “quantum” really means

Researchers create a bizarre effect once thought to only occur in intense gravitational fields

Researchers at IBM assembled the fragile molecule atom-by-atom using a specialized microscope

New insights might help unravel key secrets about safeguarding mitochondria

Combining the best of analog and digital approaches could yield a full-scale multipurpose quantum computer

The familiar H₂O molecule may take a strange, ringlike form

Understanding the role of state-sanctioned killing does more than illuminate the social evolution of “premodern” cultures

New materials make prototype lithium–air batteries more durable

The emergence of politically sophisticated societies may be assisted by faith in supernatural spirits but does not require "big god" religion

In a chapter excerpted from his new book, science writer Philip Ball describes “Aryan physics” and other ludicrous ideas that accompanied the rise of Adolf Hitler

The spectacular reaction of alkali metals with water was poorly understood despite being a staple of chemistry classes