Steve Nadis

An illustration of the crumpled front end of a car that has been in an accident with mountains that are the result of crumpling of Earth's crust, rising in the background

Right Now | July-August 2021

How Paper Crumples

The research provides insight into the way materials react to repeated strain.

An evocative illustration that incorporates musical notation into the familiar double helix of DNA

Right Now | March-April 2021

Using DNA for data storage

Compact and persistent, DNA could one day compress all human knowledge into a 15-gallon drum.

Illustration of a man looking at constellations with ants traversing the shortest distance between the stars in the constellation.

Right Now | September-October 2020

Using puzzles to teach physics

In his freshman seminar, Cumrun Vafa uses puzzles to help students understand complex physics.