Scientific American 2021 10.pdf

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OCTOBER 2021
SCIENTIFICAMERICAN.COM
Unprecedented
Arctic Wildfires
Competitive
Birding
A Map of All
Mathematics
A NEW FORCE
OF NATURE?
An intriguing experiment may reveal
a hidden world of physics
O c tO b e r 2 0 2 1
VO L U M E 3 2 5 , N U M B E R 4
56
M AT H E M AT I C S
32 Infinite Math
Mathematicians have expanded
category theory into infinite dimen-
sions, enabling new connections
among sophisticated mathemati-
cal concepts.
By Emily Riehl
C L I M AT E C H A N G E
to possible new particles and
forces of nature.
By Marcela Carena
BIODIVERSIT Y
64 The Big Day
A Connecticut team races to find
as many bird species as possible
in 24 hours, in the high-intensity,
low-stakes world of competitive
birding.
By Kate Wong
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
42 Alaska Burning
Wildfire is transforming the
landscape of the high north
and amplifying climate change.
By Randi Jandt and Alison York
P S YC H O LO G Y
74 More Food, Less Waste
Cutting losses across the food
chain could vastly increase
supply and significantly reduce
carbon emissions.
By Chad Frischmann and
Mamta Mehra
THEORETIC AL PHYSIC S
50 Social Resilience
Cindy Arnold
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Underserved Black communities
are often depicted as dysfunction-
al. Their resiliency has long
been overlooked.
By Nancy Averett
PA R T I C L E P H Y S I C S
82 The Artificial Physicist
A machine-learning system is
making shocking progress at
the frontiers of experimental
quantum physics.
By Anil Ananthaswamy
ON tHe c OVe r
An experiment called Muon g-2 at Fermi
National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois
measured excessive wobbling by particles
called muons. The findings suggest new
particles or forces beyond those in the Standard
Model of particle physics may be involved.
Illustration by Maria corte.
56 The Unseen Universe
A mismatch between theory and
experiment from muons points
October 2021, ScientificAmerican.com
1
4 From the Editor
6 Letters
12 Science Agenda
Indigenous peoples are experts at preserving biodiversity;
the developed world should let them keep doing it.
By the Editors
14 Forum
Abortion rights are on the Supreme Court docket
again this term—and they could be in danger.
By Elizabeth Nash
12
16 Advances
A simple mathematical law for travel within cities.
A cozy mucus nest for frog eggs. Tech to separate
whale calls from the noise. A COVID-detecting mask.
28 Meter
Poetry of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
By Michael H. Levin
30 The Science of Health
Ways to stop the rising rate of perilous falls
among the elderly.
By Claudia Wallis
86 Recommended
16
Human machinations around animals. The joy
of nature’s eccentricities. Human roots of climate
change. Environmental parable of nutmeg.
Who is the conscious you?
By Amy Brady
88 Observatory
Jargon is okay when talking to colleagues, but scientists
should speak plainly when addressing the public.
By Naomi Oreskes
90 50, 100 & 150 Years Ago
By Mark Fischetti
92 Graphic Science
88
The secrets of planetary interiors.
By Clara Moskowitz and Mark Belan
Scientific American (ISSN 0036-8733), Volume 325, Number 4, October 2021, published monthly by Scientific American, a division of Springer Nature America, Inc., 1 New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, N.Y. 10004-1562.
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Scientific American, October 2021

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