Check if a file is really a file, whether a string contains anything, and whether you can run a program with these vital patterns.

Does string theory—the controversial “theory of everything” from physics—tell us anything about consciousness and the human brain? If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our ...

All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Gizmodo may earn an affiliate commission. Reading time 7 minutes ...

Measuring binary star systems' basic properties has proved exceedingly difficult. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Breaking space ...

Andrej Prša receives funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Stars are the fundamental building blocks of our universe. Most stars host planets, like our Sun hosts our solar ...

The invisible string theory follows the idea that you are connected to your soulmate via a metaphorical string. While this belief can provide hope and comfort, it can also lead to people staying in an ...

Veiled in gas and clouds, the Milky Way’s center does not easily give up secrets. The initial detection of its supermassive black hole (SMBH) decades ago posed as many riddles as it solved, including ...

Every galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its center, much like every egg has a yolk. But sometimes, hens lay eggs with two yolks. In a similar way, astrophysicists like us who study supermassive ...

String theory attempts to unify all forces and particles in the universe using vibrating strings. It aims to explain the Standard Model of particle physics, which is incomplete. String theory predicts ...

Three, as Schoolhouse Rock! told children of the 1970s, is a magic number. Three little pigs; three beds, bowls and bears for Goldilocks; three Star Wars trilogies. You need at least three legs for a ...

A string farm in Minecraft is one of the simplest farms that a player can make. String can be used to make useful gear like bows, crossbows, or fishing rods, doubles as furnace fuel, or even turned ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. String theory captured the hearts and minds of many physicists decades ago because of a beautiful simplicity. Zoom in far enough on a ...