As computers become progressively faster and more powerful, they’ve gained the impressive capacity to simulate increasingly realistic environments. Which raises a question familiar to aficionados of The Matrix—might life and the world as we know it be a simulation on a super advanced computer?

Time allows us to live in the moment, reflect on the past, plan for the future. It’s our most familiar, precious, yet mysterious commodity.

What we touch. What we smell. What we feel. They’re all part of our reality. But what if life as we know it reflects only one side of the full story? Some of the world’s leading physicists think that this may be the case.

This video is part of our Brilliant Breakthroughs series: our new 20-episode mini-series exploring the “Eureka!” moments and proud accomplishments of the greatest scientific minds of our time. Join us …

After a storied career with 5 spaceflights (including three trips to fix the Hubble Space Telescope), NASA astronaut John Grunsfeld now helms the space agency’s scientific missions. He helps shepherd …

For centuries, humans believed the deep sea was lifeless, but new technologies have revealed that this previously hidden realm is home to rich ecosystems, mineral treasures, and an astounding kaleidoscope …