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

Faculty & Community |

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

Science & Technology |

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.

Social Sciences |

Using puzzles to teach physics

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