Neutron Stars Serve Up Plates of Nuclear Pasta
Along with black holes, neutron stars are the result of stars collapsing under gravity once their fuel burns out, until their density is about the same as that of the nucleus of an atom, at which point the protons and electrons “melt” into pure neutrons.
New Dark Matter Map Confirms Current Theories
The American Physical Society is holding its annual April Meeting at the moment in Baltimore, Maryland, and one of the highlights, research-wise, comes to us courtesy of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) collaboration.
Was I Wrong about “The End of Science”?
One of the coolest—and most stressful–moments of my career took place November 7, 1996, when I was a staff writer for Scientific American.
NASA Assures Skeptical Congress That the James Webb Telescope Is on Track
The program will not repeat past mistakes, officials vow, and will launch as planned in 2018
After a Martian Marathon, NASA's Opportunity Rover Faces Uncertain Future
It's been a long time coming, but this week NASA's Mars Opportunity rover completed the first-ever Martian marathon. After landing on the Red Planet in January 2004 on a mission originally planned to only last 90 days, Opportunity has instead endured for more than a decade, and has taken eleven years and two months to [...]
What Are Black Hole Firewalls? [VIDEO]
Black holes break theories. These sites of extremely large masses in extremely small spaces invoke both of the behemoths of modern physics—general relativity (which rules over large masses) and quantum mechanics (which reigns in small spaces).
Hopped-Up Particle Accelerator Poised to Venture into the Realm of Exotic Physics
When the upgraded Large Hadron Collider restarts it will be capable of energies never before achieved, potentially unveiling novel particles and opening a window on the inner workings of the universe
Dawn Spacecraft Arrives at Ceres, Becomes First to Orbit a Dwarf Planet
Shortly after 7:30 am Eastern time this morning, a seven-year space voyage at last reached its final destination: NASA's Dawn mission entered orbit around Ceres, a small, icy world orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter.
Saturn: A History [Slide Show]
Our understanding of this planet has evolved in step with scientific progress
Young Black Hole Had Monstrous Growth Spurt
Supermassive object found in the early universe tests theories of cosmic evolution
Hunting Black Holes at the South Pole
Each of the telescopes that the astronomers of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) are currently working to bring into their black-hole-observing, planet-size array is a special case.
Best Actor Eddie Redmayne on Portraying Stephen Hawking (Q&A)
Last night at the 87th Academy Awards, Eddie Redmayne won the Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.