FirstPrinciples | Explorations in AI and Physics 2/5

Explorations in Science and AI

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How string theory lost its strings

String theory was once hailed as the “theory of everything” — a unified model of nature built on tiny vibrating strings. But after decades of expansion, the field has evolved beyond its namesake, embracing branes, dualities, and abstract geometry. Some physicists now wonder: is it time to rename the theory entirely?

Man standing in front of a large screen with fake news, angry social media, and clickbait blogs.

Why science literacy could be the most important skill you never learned

Entangled particles float above a coloured graph

Unlocking the quantum code: Physicists map the statistics of entanglement

Vaire Computing aims to tame the AI energy crisis

Serious physicists are talking about UFOs. What changed?

How string theory lost its strings

Colin Hunter

Jul 3, 2025

Why science literacy could be the most important skill you never learned

Ethan Siegel

Apr 15, 2025

Unlocking the quantum code: Physicists map the statistics of entanglement

FirstPrinciples

Apr 1, 2025

Vaire Computing aims to tame the AI energy crisis

Matt von Hippel

Mar 27, 2025

Serious physicists are talking about UFOs. What changed?

Colin Hunter

Feb 20, 2025

How string theory lost its strings

Colin Hunter

Why science literacy could be the most important skill you never learned

Ethan Siegel

Unlocking the quantum code: Physicists map the statistics of entanglement

FirstPrinciples

Vaire Computing aims to tame the AI energy crisis

Matt von Hippel

Serious physicists are talking about UFOs. What changed?

Colin Hunter

Latest Articles

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How Science Works
Scientist Spotlight
Quantum Science & Tech
Organizational Features
Recent Research
Consciousness and Reality
Science Explained
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Technology & Machines
How Science Works
Scientist Spotlight
Quantum Science & Tech
Organizational Features
Recent Research
Consciousness and Reality
Science Explained
Artificial Intelligence
Technology & Machines

Glowing light bulb atop stacked books, set against a dark, starry background. Books are vintage with teal covers, creating a thoughtful mood.

How the Sloan Foundation picks scientific winners

Sloan Foundation president Adam Falk is stepping down this year after seven years leading the iconic organization. He spoke with FirstPrinciples about how the foundation’s philosophy has given it an outsized impact on scientific progress.

Matt von Hippel

Jun 18, 2025

Colored spheres in rows of orange, blue, and green connected by lines forming a network on a dark background, illustrating connectivity.

Prediction isn’t understanding: AI’s evolution and the soul of science

From rule-based ‘expert systems’ to neural networks, AI has long chased the dream of scientific reasoning. But while today’s models are good at pattern matching and can generate code or summarize academic papers, they struggle with the heart of scientific discovery: structured reasoning.

FirstPrinciples

Jun 11, 2025

Star inside of a spherical structure on a dark background

Engineering the implausible? Paper explores stable Dyson spheres and ringworlds

Artificial structures surrounding an entire star were thought to be impossible. A new calculation shows that they could be supported by the gravity of a second star.

Matt von Hippel

May 29, 2025

Artist's rendition of the Big Bang in an abstract style. A bright flash in the centre surrounded by swirling colours.

An excerpt from Battle of the Big Bang: The New Tales of Our Cosmic Origins

Astrophysicist Niayesh Afshordi and science communicator Phil Halper explore theories—from black holes birthing universes to the end of cosmic singularities—in a sweeping narrative that challenges the Big Bang orthodoxy.

FirstPrinciples

May 22, 2025

Spacetime grid flowing gently into a dark horizon with stars and cosmic elements. Black and white.

The Conjecture That Gravity Might Always Be Weak

In 2006, a group of physicists proposed a bold idea: that gravity must be the weakest force in any consistent theory of quantum gravity. Almost twenty years later, this so-called Weak Gravity Conjecture remains unproven, but the research it inspired continues to raise deep questions.

Matt von Hippel

May 15, 2025

Astrophysicist Janna Levin smiling in black blouse against cosmic backdrop.

Janna Levin’s creative cosmos: navigating multiple dimensions in science and art

Even Janna Levin, once dubbed the “chillest astrophysicist alive,” is abuzz with energy about “magical” collaborations, both scientific and artistic.

Colin Hunter

May 7, 2025

Quantum Gravity: The Quest to Unify Physics' Fundamental Forces

For more than a century, physicists have struggled with an uncomfortable truth: the two pillars of modern physics fundamentally contradict each other.

FirstPrinciples

Apr 30, 2025

Computer chip wth cosmological elements flowing out of it.

Rise of the machine cosmologists

Scientists are using artificial intelligence and machine learning to tackle dark matter and other cosmic puzzles.

FirstPrinciples

Apr 24, 2025

Why science literacy could be the most important skill you never learned

In an era of misinformation, understanding science is essential for informed decision-making. True scientific literacy goes beyond reading or quick online searches—it empowers individuals to think critically, evaluate evidence, and discern credible information from misleading claims.

Ethan Siegel

Apr 15, 2025

A sleek quantum computer prototype with illuminated gold and silver components against a black background, emitting a futuristic vibe.

DARPA’s Quantum Leap: Inside the Initiative to Fast-Track Industrial Quantum Computing

DARPA has launched the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative to assess whether scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computers can be built within the next decade.

FirstPrinciples

Apr 11, 2025