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?

What is AI? From symbolic logic to large-scale neural networks, we're unpacking how today’s systems learn, generate, and reason alongside the the misconceptions and challenges of applying AI in science and society.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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