The Higgs at Last
After a three-decade search, scientists appear to have found the elusive particle. Its peculiar properties suggest a new era in physics could be about to dawn
Features
The Inner Life of Quarks
What if the smallest bits of matter actually harbor an undiscovered world of particles?
Ghostly Beacons of New Physics
Neutrinos, the strangest beasts in the particle zoo, may soon open the way to unexplored realms
Loops, Trees and the Search for New Physics
Maybe unifying the forces of nature isn't quite as hard as physicists thought it would be
Origin of the Universe
Cosmologists are closing in on the ultimate processes that created and shaped the universe
Super Supernovae
The largest stars die in explosions more powerful than anyone thought possible—some triggered in part by the production of antimatter
The Dark Side of the Milky Way
Dark matter is not just a puzzle. It is a solution
Does Dark Energy Really Exist?
Maybe not. The observations that led astronomers to deduce its existence could have another explanation: our galaxy lies at the center of a giant cosmic void
Portrait of a Black Hole
By adapting a global network of telescopes, astronomers will soon get their first look ever at the dark silhouette of a black hole
Naked Singularities
The black hole has a troublesome sibling, the naked singularity. Physicists have long thought—hoped—it could never exist. But could it?
Black Stars, Not Holes
Quantum effects may prevent true black holes from forming and give rise instead to dense entities called black stars
The (Elusive) Theory of Everything
Physicists have long sought to find one final theory that would unify all of physics. Instead they may have to settle for several
A Quantum Threat to Special Relativity
Entanglement, like many quantum effects, violates some of our deepest intuitions about the world. It may also undermine Einstein's special theory of relativity
Beyond the Quantum Horizon
Once viewed as imposing absolute limits on knowledge and technology, quantum theory is now expanding the power of computers and the vistas of the mind
Bad Boy of Physics
Leonard Susskind rebelled as a teen and never stopped. Today he insists that reality may forever be beyond reach of our understanding
Signature Analysis
Bubble chamber photographs reveal the telltale tracks of exotic subatomic particles
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