The Mind-Expanding Power of Complementarity
Embracing divergent perspectives at the same time is a key to understanding reality
Physics5225 articles archived since 1845
New Views of Quantum Jumps Challenge Core Tenets of Physics
One of the most basic processes in all of nature—a subatomic particle’s transition between discrete energy states—is surprisingly complex and sometimes predictable, recent work shows...
Trump Signs Directive to Bolster Nuclear Power in Space Exploration
One goal laid out in the new policy is the testing of a fission power system on the moon by the mid- to late 2020s
Gravitational Waves Probe Exotic Matter inside Neutron Stars
A new analysis of light and gravitational waves from colliding neutron stars helps reveal what’s inside these ultradense objects
Physicists Achieve Best Ever Measurement of Fine-Structure Constant
Three times more precise than the previous record-holding determination, the result closely agrees with theoretical predictions but could still reveal pathways to new physics
Quantum Mechanics, the Mind-Body Problem and Negative Theology
Scientists and philosophers should keep trying to solve reality’s deepest riddles while accepting that they are unsolvable
World’s Largest Fusion Reactor Begins Assembly
The pieces are finally coming together on the long-delayed ITER experiment to create nuclear fusion
Eye Treatment Stretches Mouse Sight Beyond Visible Spectrum
Nanoparticles that attach to photoreceptors allowed mice to see infrared and near-infrared light for up to two months.
Asteroid Dust from Hayabusa2 Could Solve a Mystery of Planet Creation
The enigmatic origins of chondrules—tiny inclusions in most meteorites—may be revealed at last, thanks in part to pristine material returned to Earth from asteroid Ryugu
Light-Based Quantum Computer Exceeds Fastest Classical Supercomputers
The setup of lasers and mirrors effectively “solved” a problem far too complicated for even the largest traditional computer system
Inventing Us: How Inventions Shaped Humanity
Materials scientist and science writer Ainissa Ramirez talks about her latest book The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another.
Are We Real? And Other Questions of Physics
Do we live in a higher being’s computer? Advanced research may tell us
Ultracold Molecule Mystery Solved
Lasers slow molecules for a glimpse of the quantum world—and a strange heating is uncovered
Undersea Earthquakes Reveal Sound Warming Info
Travel time differences for sound waves produced by undersea earthquakes in the same place at different times can provide details about ocean warming.
Legendary Arecibo Telescope Will Close Forever, and Scientists Are Reeling
A new satellite image reveals the damage that shut down the facility, ending an era in astronomical observation
Stellar Smashups May Fuel Planetary Habitability, Study Suggests
Radioactive elements produced by colliding neutron stars could make the difference between living and lifeless worlds
Zebra Coloration Messes With Fly Eyes
Horseflies misjudge landings on zebra patterns, compared with solid gray or black surfaces, which provides evidence for why evolution came up with the black-and-white pattern.
Black Holes Are Finally Trending
A Nobel Prize is just the latest proof that a concept rejected by Einstein in 1939 has become one of the hottest topics in physics
Will the Universe Remember Us after We’re Gone?
Physicists insist that information never vanishes, not even in black holes, but this “law” reflects wishful thinking
‘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
