Understanding how artificial intelligence algorithms solve problems like the Rubik’s Cube makes AI more useful. Roland Frisch via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA Forest Agostinelli, University of South Carolina The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has created computers that can drive cars, synthesize chemical compounds, fold proteins and detect high-energy particles at a superhuman level. However, these AI algorithms cannot explain …

Elliptical galaxies are filled with extremely old stars. Igor Chekalin/Shutterstock.com Annagrazia Puglisi, Durham University Most stars in the universe today are found in massive galaxies called ellipticals, named for their stretched-out-circle shape. Unlike our own galaxy, which is a spiral with arms extending out from the centre, the edges of elliptical galaxies are smooth. At first glance, these galaxies might …

As the jet stream moves northwards, the UK can expect more storms and flooding in the winter. James McDowall/Shutterstock Brice Rea, University of Aberdeen The end of the last ice age, around 12,000 years ago, was characterised by a final cold phase called the Younger Dryas. Scandinavia was still mostly covered in ice, and across Europe the mountains had many …