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.
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Some stars could swallow black holes – here's how we can find them
December 18, 2023Black holes are famous for gobbling up everything – but could they ever be swallowed whole? A new study suggests stars could capture very small black holes. There might even be a way to find them, and if so, they could help us understand dark matter. -
Tantalum cold spray boosts potential of fusion reactor chambers
December 15, 2023The insides of nuclear fusion reactors are violent and chaotic places. A new cold-spray coating can take the heat and also trap some rogue hydrogen particles at the same time, potentially making for smaller, better plasma chambers. -
Ancient stars may have forged superheavy elements unknown to science
December 10, 2023Scientists have uncovered hints of a world of new elements beyond the periodic table. A new study has found that ancient stars may have been producing extremely heavy elements that remain unknown to science. -
Hunting spacetime fluctuations could unite Einstein and quantum physics
December 05, 2023A unified Theory Of Everything is the holy grail of physics, but gravity refuses to play ball. A newly proposed theory attempts to unify Einstein’s theory of gravity with quantum mechanics – and importantly, outlines a way to test it experimentally. -
How a "supervoid" and modified gravity could solve a cosmic conundrum
December 03, 2023One of the biggest cosmological mysteries centers on a discrepancy in how fast the universe is expanding. A new study comes to an intriguing solution by applying a modified theory of gravity and an unsettling “supervoid” that our galaxy resides in. -
Ultra-compact particle accelerator does a mile's work with four inches
November 28, 2023The USA has only two accelerators that can produce 10 billion electron-volt particle beams, and they're each about 1.9 miles long. "We can now reach those energies in 10 cm," said the CEO of TAU Systems, which has built an ultra-compact accelerator. -
Scientists discover strange new form of magnetism
November 19, 2023Scientists at ETH Zurich have discovered a new type of magnetism. Experiments show that an artificially produced material becomes magnetic through a mechanism that hasn’t been seen before. -
LIGO squeezes light to surpass quantum limit measuring spacetime ripples
October 24, 2023Gravitational wave facilities measure spacetime distortions down to 10 quadrillionths of a hair – small enough for interference from particles popping in and out of existence. Now LIGO has pushed beyond this quantum limit by “squeezing” laser light. -
"Pseudogravity" in crystals can bend light like black holes
October 16, 2023Scientists have manipulated light as though it was being influenced by gravity. By carefully distorting a photonic crystal, the team was able to invoke “pseudogravity” to bend a beam of light, which could have useful applications in optics systems. -
"Modified gravity" could rule out both dark matter and Planet Nine
October 09, 2023Our solar system officially houses eight planets, but some scientists say there could be a ninth hiding on the fringes. Now, a new study has found the oddities could be explained by modified theories of gravity, an alternative idea to dark matter. -
2023 Nobel Prize for Physics recognizes work to measure electrons
October 03, 2023The Royal Swedish Academy of Science has awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L'Huillier for work that's "given humanity new tools for exploring the world of electrons inside atoms and molecules." -
Antigravity disproved: Antimatter responds to gravity just like matter
September 27, 2023Gravity's effect on antimatter has been a point of disagreement between physicists. New research may have settled the debate by finding that antimatter is affected by gravity in the same way as matter, ruling out the existence of repulsive 'antigravity.' -
"Demon particle" accidentally discovered, solving 67-year mystery
August 13, 2023While studying a material that could help unlock the secrets of superconductors, scientists have accidentally discovered a “demon” particle that was first theorized almost 70 years ago, but had never been experimentally confirmed. -
"Quantum superchemistry" observed in lab experiments for first time
August 07, 2023Scientists have detected the first evidence of a phenomenon called “quantum superchemistry.” Long predicted but never confirmed, this effect could speed up chemical reactions, give scientists more control over them, and inform quantum computing. -
"Quantum gravity" clues could be hiding in the songs of black holes
June 05, 2023Gravity is the only fundamental force that can’t currently be explained by quantum physics. Now scientists have outlined a plan to look for signs of quantum gravity out in the cosmos by listening in to the 'ringing' of colliding black holes.
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