New Atlas

Physics Audio available

CERN's proposed 100-km particle accelerator would run rings around the LHC

Darren Quick January 15, 2019

CERN, the European research organization responsible for operating the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), has released a report outlining a proposed particle accelerator that would be nearly four times as long and 10 times as powerful as its predecessor.

The proposed Future Circular Collider (FCC) would have a circumference of 100 km (62 mi), dwarfing ...

Science

Global wake up call headlines the year in science

Darren Quick December 29, 2018

Another year is winding up, so it's time to look back at the scientific breakthroughs that excited us this year. From innovative new materials that open the door to more advanced tools and products, to discoveries that continue to push the borders of human knowledge, 2018 didn't fail to deliver.

Science Audio available

Explosive experiments with lab-made lava reveal hidden volcanic physics

Michael Irving December 11, 2018

To investigate the physics of interactions between lava and water, researchers from the University at Buffalo have conducted experiments on lab-made lava – with some explosive results.

An explosive experiment with lab-made lava

Physics Audio available

Large Hadron Collider upgrades to pave the way for higher energy collisions

Nick Lavars December 4, 2018

Scientists at CERN have switched off the Large Hadron Collider following its second round of experiments, gearing it up for a third run that will see particles smashed together harder than ever before.

The Large Hadron Collider undergoes some earlier upgrades

Physics Audio available

Most powerful gravitational waves event stands out among four new detections

Michael Irving December 3, 2018

Gravitational waves are ripples in the very fabric of spacetime, caused by some of the biggest cataclysms in the cosmos. Now, an international team of scientists has presented the full catalog of these events, gathered over the last few years across two observation runs.

An artist's impression of two neutron stars on a collision course – a cataclysm that produces ...

Physics Audio available

Scientists find way to melt gold at room temperature

Michael Irving November 20, 2018

Melting gold normally requires temperatures upwards of 1,064° C (1,947° F), but physics is never quite that simple. A team of researchers has now found a way to melt gold at room temperature using an electric field and an electron microscope.

Researchers have found a way to melt gold at room temperature

Space Audio available

Gigantic "ghost" galaxy spotted circling the Milky Way

Michael Irving November 13, 2018

Astronomers have spotted a mysterious “ghost” galaxy orbiting the Milky Way. Huge but extremely faint, the oddball galaxy has been named Antlia 2, and it might just be weird enough to force us to rethink what we know about galactic physics and dark matter.

The new galaxy, named Antlia 2 (right) is extremely faint compared to the Milky Way (middle) ...

Science Audio available

Official definition of a kilogram set to change this week

Michael Irving November 13, 2018

The official definition of a kilogram may be redefined this week. After years of debate and discussion, scientists from around the world are meeting in Paris on Friday to vote on whether the kilogram, the mole, the ampere and the kelvin should be changed to more stable and reliable definitions.

The official definition of a kilogram – as well as a few other SI measurements – ...

Physics

Does antimatter fall upwards? New CERN gravity experiments aim to get to the bottom of the matter

Michael Irving November 4, 2018

Physics tells us that a hammer and a feather, dropped in a vacuum, will fall at the same rate. Now, CERN scientists are preparing to drop antimatter in a vacuum chamber to see if gravity affects it the same way it does matter – or if antimatter falls upwards instead.

The ALPHA-g experiment being set up at CERN, which will drop antimatter to see how gravity ...

Physics

Atomic tractor beam traps atoms for quantum memory

Michael Irving October 30, 2018

The tractor beam is a long-time staple of sci-fi, but now Australian researchers have created a real-world version. While it won’t exactly be capturing enemy spaceships anytime soon, the device can use light to pull in and trap atoms, which may be handy for quantum communications or memory systems.

Lead researcher Philip Light with the chamber in which the tractor beams were created