Scientific American - 11.2019

G R AV I TAT I O N A L WAV E S

Inside the world’s first

underground detector PAGE 62

IS INEQUALITY

INEVITABLE?

An intriguing

mathematical model PAGE 70

PLUS

PHAGE FIGHTERS

Fresh hope for

drug-resistant infections PA G E 5 0

SOCIAL MEDIA SCARE

Fears about kids and tech

are wildly overblown PA G E 4 4

SONGBIRD GENETICS

Solving the mystery of their

immense diversity PAGE 58

ScientificAmerican.com

NOVEMBER 2019

© 2019 Scientific American

TIME

C RY S TA L S

Exotic new states of matter contain

patterns that repeat like clockwork