The Strange Hearts of Neutron Stars
Space observations are poised to reveal more about the centre of one of the Universe’s most enigmatic objects
Physics5099 articles archived since 1845
The Beautiful, Irregular Universe
A new x-ray survey of distant galaxies suggests that the universe is expanding unevenly
Astronomers Get Earliest Ever Glimpse of Ancient Giant Galaxy
The disk of gas and stars resembles our own Milky Way but somehow formed when the universe was only about 10 percent of its current age
No, No Nobel: How to Lose the Prize
Physicist Brian Keating talks about his book Losing the Nobel Prize: A Story of Cosmology, Ambition, and the Perils of Science’s Highest Honor.
Pi in the Sky: General Relativity Passes the Ratio’s Test
Using gravitational waves to approximate pi, physicists see no problem with Einstein’s theory
How Heavy is the Universe? Conflicting Answers Hint at New Physics
The discrepancy could be a statistical fluke—or a sign that physicists will need to revise the standard model of cosmology
New Model Predicts Sudden Rogue Waves
Unified theory describes formation of huge, mysterious waves
Did Galileo Truly Say, ‘And Yet It Moves’? A Modern Detective Story
An astrophysicist traces genealogy and art history to discover the origin of the famous motto
Physicists Criticize Stephen Wolfram’s ‘Theory of Everything’
The iconoclastic researcher and entrepreneur wants more attention for his big ideas. But so far researchers are less than receptive
Galileo’s Fight against Science Denial
Astrophysicist and author Mario Livio talks about his latest book, Galileo: And the Science Deniers, and how the legendary scientist’s battles are still relevant today.
‘Magnetic Star’ Radio Waves Could Solve the Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts
The surprise detection of a radio burst from a neutron star in our galaxy might reveal the origin of a bigger cosmological phenomenon
Planet Nine Could Be a Mirage
Mysterious patterns in orbits of small bodies in the outer solar system could arise from the gravity of a massive disk of icy debris rather than an undiscovered giant world
Experts Doubt the Sun Is Actually Burning Coal
Originally published in August 1863
A Shiny Snack Bag’s Reflections Can Reconstruct the Room around It
Researchers used the light reflecting off the wrapper to build an image of its surroundings
Where Is Everybody Else in the Universe?
Guest host W. Wayt Gibbs talks with Jason Wright, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Pennsylvania State University’s Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, about what’s known as the Fermi paradox: In a universe of trillions of planets, where is everybody?...
Kicking Horses Are More Deadly Than Lightning
Originally published in July 1898
Warm Clothes Could Be Made of Chicken Feathers
Originally published in March 1951
Antimatter Discovery Reveals Clues about the Universe’s Beginning
New evidence from neutrinos points to one of several theories about why the cosmos is made of matter and not antimatter
This Black-Hole Collision Just Made Gravitational Waves Even More Interesting
An unprecedented signal from unevenly sized objects gives astronomers rare insight into how black holes spin
