Let's nitpick about the physics of Stranger Things, not its ending | New Scientist
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Make this the year your great idea gets shared with TED-Ed’s Educator Talks
Xixi Wang
Every educator has a spark.
Every educator has a classroom insight, a new approach to learning, a deeply held belief about what students need most. But great ideas don’t thrive in isolation. They need space to grow, tools to take shape, and audiences ready to listen. That’s where TED-Ed’s Educator Talks comes in.
Chernobyl cooling systems have lost power but meltdown risk is low | New Scientist
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has seen a number of attacks since the Russian invasion of Ukraine AFP
An electrical outage at Ukraine’s Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has taken spent fuel cooling systems offline, leading to a potential risk of overheating and the release of dangerous levels of radiation – but due to the age of the fuel, it should be safe until power is restored.
Embracing quantum spookiness: Best ideas of the century | New Scientist
In the 1920s, Albert Einstein thought he had found a fundamental flaw in quantum physics. This set off a chain of investigations that, over several decades, showed he had instead discovered a crucial feature of quantum theory – and one of its oddest.
These striking photos are a window into the world of quantum physics | New Scientist
Marco Schioppo (back) and Adam Parke monitoring the ultra-stable laser at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, UK David Severn, Part of Quantum Untangled (2025) at Science Gallery, King’s College London
Our elegant universe: rethinking nature’s deepest principle | New Scientist
In the Altes Museum in Berlin stands a boy with his arms raised to the heavens. Aside from the right heel, which is slightly arched, this ancient Greek statue is almost perfectly symmetrical. Did the sculptor impose this balance for purely artistic reasons? Hermann Weyl thought not. We are drawn to symmetry, said the German mathematician, because it governs the very order of the universe.
Orange-Glazed Polenta Cake - David Lebovitz
Apparently I’m not the only one who loves polenta cake. The Italians like it so much that it’s called Amor Polenta. Which means “Polenta Love.”
Well, at least that’s what I thought it meant, because amour in French means “love.” And I assumed that it was the same in Italian. (Another reason for finally getting on that life-long ambition to live in Italy and learn Italian.) But for now, checking in an Italian dictionary, I found out that “amor” means “sake.” (As in, for the purpose of.) So I’m not sure how it got its name, but this cake makes a pretty good argument for the sake of whisking polenta into a cake.
Tarte au citron: Lemon Tart Recipe - David Lebovitz
Not everyone thinks of citrus fruits as “winter fruits.” But that’s when oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, tangy lemons, and enticing limes are often at their peak. And that’s a good thing because there’s nothing that brightens up any season – but especially winter – better than a classic French lemon tart.
Announcing TED Summer School! A unique partnership between Immerse Education and TED
Xixi Wang
What if your summer could change how you see yourself, and how the world hears you?
For over a decade, TED-Ed has helped hundreds of thousands of students around the world find their voices, passion, and confidence with TED-Ed Student Talks. Now, in partnership with the renowned organization Immerse Education, TED is offering a more intensive opportunity for students to discover, shape, and share their best ideas under the guidance of expert tutors over the summer.
Ghostly particles might just break our understanding of the universe | New Scientist
Neutrinos rarely interact with normal matter Shutterstock / betibup33
Notoriously ghostly particles called neutrinos may have revealed a crack in our understanding of all the particles and forces in the universe.