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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World's strongest steady magnetic field generated in China
August 15, 2022Scientists in China have set a new world record for the strongest steady magnetic field ever generated on Earth. The hybrid magnet managed to produce a field measuring 45.22 Tesla (T), which is over a million times stronger than the planet’s own. -
Nanopillared lenses let scientists trap individual atoms with light
August 02, 2022Researchers have developed a more precise design for "optical tweezers," using a metasurface lens studded with millions of tiny pillars which focus light to trap and manipulate individual atoms. It could pave the way for powerful quantum devices. -
The end of everything: 5 ways the universe could be destroyed
July 22, 2022Everything has to end eventually – including the universe itself. It might be hard to imagine a catastrophe big enough to affect the entirety of existence, but here are some of the leading hypotheses about how the universe could end, and when. -
A brief history of the Higgs boson, the Holy Grail of physics
July 15, 2022This month marks the 10th anniversary of the discovery of the Higgs boson. But what exactly is this particle, and why is it so important? What has it taught us in the last decade – and more importantly, what could it teach us in the next decade? -
World's most sensitive dark matter detector joins the hunt for WIMPs
July 12, 2022The world’s most sensitive dark matter detector is ready to tackle one of the most perplexing mysteries of the universe. Over 50 times more sensitive than others, LUX-ZEPLIN lurks quietly a mile underground, waiting for these hypothetical particles. -
Electron whirlpools: Scientists witness electricity behaving like water
July 07, 2022Researchers at MIT have observed “electron whirlpools” for the first time. The bizarre behavior arises when electricity flows as a fluid, which could make for more efficient electronics. -
"Quantum flute" gets light moving in way never seen before
July 06, 2022Scientists have created a “quantum flute” that can coax photons to move in sync and interact with each other, which they almost never do in nature. The device could help improve future quantum computer designs. -
Large Hadron Collider restarts after three-year refit
April 24, 2022The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the largest and most powerful particle accelerator ever built, is ready to renter service after a three-year overhaul and refit. On April 22, two proton beams were sent around the the 27-kilometer-long ring. -
Startling discovery threatens to upend Standard Model of particle physics
April 07, 2022A collaboration of physicists has made the most precise measurement of the mass of the W boson. The new measurement of this key particle differs drastically from the Standard Model's predictions– and it may unravel physics as we know it. -
Firing lasers at the Moon to detect early-universe gravitational waves
March 17, 2022A team of European researchers has suggested that the Moon’s orbit could be used as a gigantic detector for gravitational waves. These waves, much smaller than those that existing detectors can pick up, could originate from the early universe. -
Physicists measure gravitational time warp to within one millimeter
February 17, 2022The flow of time isn’t as consistent as we might think – gravity slows it down, so clocks on Earth tick slower than those in space. Now researchers have measured time passing at different speeds across just one millimeter, the smallest distance yet. -
Quasiparticles used to generate millions of truly random numbers a second
February 08, 2022Random numbers are crucial for computing, but our current algorithms aren’t truly random. Researchers at Brown University have now found a way to tap into the fluctuations of skyrmions to generate millions of truly random numbers per second. -
"Quantum tornadoes" mark crossover from classical to quantum physics
January 06, 2022The universe is governed by two sets of seemingly incompatible laws of physics – classical and quantum physics. MIT physicists have now observed the moment atoms switch from one to the other, as they form intriguing “quantum tornadoes.” -
CERN experiments investigate whether antimatter falls up or down
January 05, 2022Physicists at CERN have discovered that antimatter falls down. It sounds obvious, but scientists hadn’t yet been able to confirm that it responds to gravity in the same way as regular matter does. A new experiment provides the best answer so far. -
Is the universe's dark matter hiding in primordial black holes?
January 04, 2022A new model by a team of scientists led by Yale University suggests that the ever elusive dark matter that has so far escaped the detection of scientists may be trapped inside primordial black holes left over after the Big Bang.
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