Physics
There are more galaxies in the Universe than even Carl Sagan ever imagined
There are between 6 and 20 trillion galaxies out there. Carl Sagan's "billions and billions" was far too low of a guess.
The Universe is flat. Here’s what that teaches us.
When we measure it, we find that our Universe really is flat. Here's what we can learn from that, and why it matters so much.
A new nova disappeared faster than ever, and an even bigger cosmic catastrophe is coming
Today, the fastest-ever nova to fall off has been discovered, and even faster ones may be out there. What comes next?
NASA-funded scientist says “MEGA drive” could enable interstellar travel
The mega drive might provide enough thrust for a spacecraft to travel near the speed of light using only electricity, says one physicist.
Black hole mergers obey the laws of thermodynamics
An analysis of the gravitational wave data from black hole mergers show that the event horizon area, and entropy, always increases.
Why Einstein is a “peerless genius” and Hawking is an “ordinary genius”
Why some people are considered geniuses while other equally impressive people are not seems largely arbitrary.
Scientists see “rarest event ever recorded” in search for dark matter
Researchers observed an ultra-rare particle interaction that reveals the half-life of a xenon-124 atom to be 18 sextillion years.
Australian scientists put the quantum world on a microchip
A first-of-its-kind quantum simulator could lead to the creation of never-before-seen materials powered by quantum phenomena.
Nuclear isomers were discovered 100 years ago
Protons and neutrons in an atom’s nucleus can be arranged in different configurations, creating nuclear isomers.
Lasers could cut lifespan of nuclear waste from “a million years to 30 minutes,” says Nobel laureate
If no solution is found, we're already stuck with some 22,000 cubic meters of long-lasting hazardous waste.