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Explorations in Science and AI


Inside the Flatiron Institute: Where algorithms and inquiry shape modern science
The Flatiron Institute stands out for its bold model: full-time scientists, open-source tools, and a mission to accelerate discovery through computation. Its success across fields—from astrophysics to neuroscience—reflects the power of that approach.


Inside the Flatiron Institute: Where algorithms and inquiry shape modern science
The Flatiron Institute stands out for its bold model: full-time scientists, open-source tools, and a mission to accelerate discovery through computation. Its success across fields—from astrophysics to neuroscience—reflects the power of that approach.

Charles Q. Choi
Jul 15


FirstPrinciples
Feb 7


Luna Zagorac
Jun 18, 2024


Inside the Flatiron Institute: Where algorithms and inquiry shape modern science
The Flatiron Institute stands out for its bold model: full-time scientists, open-source tools, and a mission to accelerate discovery through computation. Its success across fields—from astrophysics to neuroscience—reflects the power of that approach.

Charles Q. Choi
Latest Articles


Sabine Hossenfelder on AI, bad physics, and why science needs reform
She’s one of the internet’s sharpest scientific voices: equal parts physicist, critic, and communicator. In this candid conversation, Sabine Hossenfelder reflects on AI, the flood of low-impact theory papers, and how a scientific culture ripe for reform could finally be ready for change.
Colin Hunter
Jul 22


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


In conversation: Peter Woit on math and physics
A physicist-turned-mathematician discusses the intersection of those disciplines, string theory’s “intellectual standstill,” and much more.

FirstPrinciples
Mar 21


In conversation: Brian McNamara on 40 years of astronomy
Astronomer Brian McNamara discusses galaxy formation, supermassive black holes, and a career spent working with cutting-edge instruments.

FirstPrinciples
Mar 17


In conversation: Matt Leifer on quantum foundations
Long-time quantum foundations expert Matt Leifer discusses the field’s evolution, how it’s perceived, and his work around quantum agency.

FirstPrinciples
Feb 21


Paul Steinhardt seeks cosmic and crystalline “impossibilities”
From exotic materials to early-universe cosmology, the Princeton physicist thrives when challenging conventional thinking.

FirstPrinciples
Dec 18, 2024


Jonathan Oppenheim: Quantum heretic or freethinker?
Prevailing wisdom suggests spacetime must be quantized to achieve physicists’ long-sought unified theory. Jonathan Oppenheim isn’t so sure.

FirstPrinciples
Nov 26, 2024


In conversation: Jesse Thaler on AI and physics
A machine learning convert discusses the synergies between AI and physics, and the institute devoted to that fruitful intersection.

FirstPrinciples
Nov 1, 2024


Stargazing as a child in India, I glimpsed my quantum future
For Sonali Mohapatra, a career in quantum innovation is rooted in an ever-deepening sense of wonder about the universe.

Sonali Mohapatra
Sep 12, 2024


7 questions with Katie “AstroKatie" Mack
An astrophysicist discusses her approach to figuring out how we fit into the universe – and her amazement about how much we can understand.

FirstPrinciples
Sep 9, 2024


The arXivist: Paul Ginsparg on the founding and future of the world’s physics repository
With over 2.5 million submissions over its 33 years, arXiv is the world's largest ongoing experiment in open science.

FirstPrinciples
Aug 14, 2024


Andrew Strominger loves string theory but is “ready to be in the real world”
The Harvard physicist is a pioneer of celestial holography, an approach he calls “unflinching” in its rootedness in reality.

FirstPrinciples
Aug 8, 2024


Claudia de Rham strives to define – and defy – gravity
Whether puzzling at a blackboard, scuba diving, or piloting a plane, physicist Claudia de Rham feels powerfully pulled to gravity.

FirstPrinciples
Jul 30, 2024


5 questions with astrophysicist Roan Haggar
An astrophysicist and science communicator explains how the universe continually blows his mind.

FirstPrinciples
Jul 23, 2024


7 questions with physicist (and aspiring flautist) Eduardo Martin-Martinez
Insatiably curious with "antsy pants" about finding answers to deep questions, this physicist is happiest when faced with new challenges.

FirstPrinciples
Jul 15, 2024


5 questions with Chris Ferrie
A quantum scientist and author of books for babies on the same subject, Chris Ferrie makes big ideas feel like child's play.

FirstPrinciples
Jun 25, 2024


5 questions with cosmologist Luna Zagorac
From dark matter to hieroglyphs, this particle cosmologist tackles puzzles in “radically interdisciplinary ways.”

FirstPrinciples
Jun 20, 2024


5 Questions with Ethan Siegel of “Starts With a Bang”
An astrophysicist and science communicator talks about life, the universe, and "the most amazing fact of all."

FirstPrinciples
Jun 12, 2024
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