Imagine this scenario: Scientists have intercepted a transmission from an alien race. It's clear that the message comes from an intelligent being, but everything about it — the syntax, the grammar, ...

We often assume mathematics is the one language every intelligent species must share. But while physical laws may be universal, the way minds describe and reason about those laws can vary dramatically ...

When the makers of "Futurama" were first constructing the series, they dropped in a prominent background detail that they knew nitpickers and lay-linguists would adore. One can see on billboards, in ...

Playing the Game -- I. Potter Physics -- Harry Potter and the Great Conservation Laws -- Why Hogwarts is So Dark -- Fantastic Beasts and How to Disprove Them -- II. Space Travel -- Why Computers Get ...