Physics
Theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg said, "not only is the Universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think." That doesn't mean some very smart men and women will stop seeking answers as to how the Universe behaves. Here is where we try to make sense of their discoveries.
Latest News
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Diamond laser taps into spooky quantum world for true randomization
There’s no such thing as random in classical physics – for true randomization you need to turn to quantum physics. Now scientists have done just that, creating secure encryption keys based on the genuine randomness of quantum vibrations of diamond. -
Unexplained X-ray signals from neutron stars hint at "ghost" particles
Astronomers have detected a strange signal coming from neutron stars that could be a new elementary particle. An unexplained excess of X-rays hints at axions, hypothetical “ghost” particles that could solve several long-standing physics puzzles. -
Astronomers may have detected background ripples in spacetime itself
The gravitational waves we’ve detected so far have been like tsunamis in the spacetime sea. Now, a 13-year survey of light from pulsars scattered across the galaxy may have revealed the first hints of gentle gravitational wave background signals. -
New quantum particle may have been accidentally discovered
Princeton physicists have accidentally discovered an unexpected quantum behavior in an insulator that was thought to be unique to metals. The find suggests a brand new type of quantum particle, which the team calls a neutral fermion. -
Neutron stars scanned for signals of dark matter turning into light
Dark matter should outnumber regular matter five to one, yet it remains frustratingly elusive. But there might be ways to spot it, and now astronomers have scanned neutron stars for telltale signals of a proposed dark matter particle called an axion. -
Evidence of "modified gravity" strengthens dark matter alternative
Dark matter is currently the most widely accepted hypothesis for explaining some of the weirdness we see in the cosmos. But now astronomers have discovered evidence in over 150 galaxies for a long-standing alternative model of “modified gravity.” -
Quantum-entangled atomic clock keeps spookily accurate time
Atomic clocks are our most precise timekeepers, with the best ones keeping time to within one second in 15 billion years. But there’s always room for improvement, as researchers at MIT have now demonstrated with a new quantum-entangled atomic clock. -
Neutrino detector finds new type of "ghost particle" from the Sun
Borexino, a huge underground particle detector in Italy, has picked up a never-before-seen type of neutrino coming from the Sun. These neutrinos confirm a 90-year-old hypothesis and complete our picture of the fusion cycle of the Sun and other stars. -
Quantum X-ray microscope "ghost images" molecules using entanglement
Engineers at Brookhaven National Laboratory have designed a strange new X-ray microscope that takes advantage of the spooky world of quantum physics to “ghost image” biomolecules in high resolution but at a lower radiation dose. -
Graphene tractor beams could one day redirect lightning strikes
Lightning is a major trigger for wildfires, like the record-breaking blazes that devastated Australia and California this year. But what if we could redirect lightning to strike safely? Graphene particles trapped in a tractor beam could do just that. -
"Fifth state of matter" used to make new type of superconductor
Superconductors – materials in which electricity flows without any resistance whatsoever – could be extremely useful. For the first time ever, engineers have created a superconductor out of a state of matter called a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). -
CERN scientists design trap to transport antimatter between facilities
Antimatter is a tricky substance to store and transport, mostly because it annihilates any container you try to put it in. Now CERN researchers have outlined a new antimatter trap designed to safely carry the volatile stuff to new facilities.
