About Quanta

About Quanta Magazine

Illuminating basic science and math research through public service journalism.

Mission Statement

Quanta Magazine is an editorially independent online publication launched by the Simons Foundation in 2012 to enhance public understanding of science. Why Quanta? Albert Einstein called photons “quanta of light.” Our goal is to “illuminate science.”

Our reporters focus on developments in mathematics, theoretical physics, theoretical computer science and the basic life sciences. The best traditional news organizations provide excellent reporting on applied areas of science such as health, medicine, technology, engineering and the environment. We strive to complement and augment existing media coverage.

Our work often resembles journalistic alchemy — we mash together the complexities of science with the malleable art of storytelling in an attempt to forge a precious new alloy. It can be a mind-bending enterprise, but we relish the challenge.

At Quanta Magazine, scientific accuracy is every bit as important as telling a good story. Since Quanta is a nonprofit foundation-funded publication, all of its resources go toward producing responsible, freely accessible journalism that is meticulously researched, reported, edited, copy-edited and fact-checked. And our editorial independence ensures the impartiality of our science coverage — our articles do not reflect or represent the views of the Simons Foundation. All editorial decisions, including which research or researchers to cover, are made by Quanta’s staff reporting to the editor in chief; editorial content is not reviewed by anyone outside of the news team prior to publication; Quanta has no involvement in any of the Simons Foundation’s grant-giving or research efforts; and researchers who receive funding from the foundation do not receive preferential treatment. The decision to cover a particular researcher or research result is made solely on editorial grounds in service of our readers.

Quanta has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting, the 2020 National Magazine Award for General Excellence and two People’s Voice Webby Awards.

To reach an even wider audience, we have syndication partnerships with several publications, which reprint our articles. Through international partnerships, our articles have been translated into German, Spanish, French, Chinese, Italian and Japanese, and we plan to make them available in other languages. We want everyone to keep reading.

Thank you for visiting Quanta Magazine. We invite you to explore our pages, and we look forward to your comments.

Syndication Partners

Latest News About Quanta

Quanta Magazine Unravels Space and Time in Ambitious New Series

09.25.2024

For over a decade, Quanta Magazine has challenged and delighted fans with stories about the most fundamental questions in science. Today, in its most ambitious project to date, the magazine brings its audience into what might be the deepest mystery of all: the nature of reality itself.

Samir Patel Joins Quanta Magazine as Editor-in-Chief

04.16.2024

Patel succeeds Thomas Lin, who had led Quanta since its launch as Simons Science News in 2012. Lin remains at the Simons Foundation as the head of Quanta Books, a new science book imprint.

Quanta Magazine Partners With PRX and Cosmologist Janna Levin for Season 3 of the Joy of Why Podcast

01.25.2024

The popular math and science podcast returns with a new co-host and a 24-episode season.

All news about Quanta
Simons Foundation

About Simons Foundation

The Simons Foundation’s mission is to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences.

Co-founded in New York City by Jim and Marilyn Simons, the foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019.

The Simons Foundation at its core exists to support basic — or discovery-driven — scientific research, undertaken in pursuit of understanding the phenomena of our world.

Staff

Samir Patel

Editor in Chief
Natalie Wolchover

Natalie Wolchover

Senior Editor
Michael Moyer

Michael Moyer

Executive Editor
Jordana Cepelwicz

Jordana Cepelewicz

Math Editor

Bill Andrews

Senior Editor
Matt Carlstrom

Matt Carlstrom

Senior Engagement Editor

Samuel Velasco

Art Director

Charlie Wood

Staff Writer
Yasemin Saplakoglu

Yasemin Saplakoglu

Staff Writer

Kristina Armitage

Visual Designer

Ben Brubaker

Staff Writer

Christopher W. Young

Director of Video

Arleen Santana

Web Producer

Emily Buder

Senior Video Producer

Hannah Waters

Senior Editor

Simone Barr

Audience Producer

Joseph Howlett

Staff Writer

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