Physics
5 revolutionary cosmic ideas that turned out to be wrong
These ideas could have revolutionized our concept of the Universe, but since evidence paves the road to reality, we've had to abandon them.
New physics? Ultra-precise measurement in particle physics confounds scientists
For electrons, the predictions of the Standard Model agree with measurements. But this isn't the case for the muon, the electron's cousin.
Time has some fundamental differences from every other dimension
While spacetime itself is four dimensional, it can be decomposed into three spatial dimensions and one time dimension.
Discovery of “demon” particle could aid superconductor hunt
The elusive “demon” particle has been discovered in a superconductor-like metal nearly 70 years after it was first predicted to exist.
We’re in a “fog of war” as experts and amateurs rush to replicate superconductor LK-99
A group of Korean scientists are claiming the first superconductor that works in our everyday environment. Is it real?
“Muon g-2” experiment hints that a mystery is bubbling inside the quantum foam
Scientists have observed discrepancies between theoretical predictions and measurements of the muon's magnetic properties. What's hiding?
Quantum superposition begs us to ask, “What is real?”
The weirdness of quantum superposition means the same experiment, repeated many times under the same conditions, can give different results.
How an H.G. Wells sci-fi novel predicted Oppenheimer and atomic bombs
The “atomic bombs” in H.G. Wells’ 1914 novel The World Set Free influenced a pioneer of real-world nuclear weapons: physicist Leó Szilárd.
Quantum biology: Your nose and house plants are experts at particle physics
Quantum processes, normally associated with the very small or very cold, have been found to occur in biological systems. This was unexpected.
Astronomers use dead stars to measure gravitational waves produced by ancient black holes
As research challenges theories of how galaxies evolved, studying the era after the Big Bang using gravitational waves could be invaluable.