Physics

Fusion Breakthrough: Magnet Powerful Enough to Levitate an Aircraft Carrier Marks Final Step Before ITER Reactor Assembly

Christopher Plain·April 30, 2025

In a nuclear fusion breakthrough, ITER scientists have announced the completion of a magnet powerful enough to levitate an aircraft carrier.

New Webb Telescope Findings Bring Black Hole Mysteries and the Hidden Side of Star Formation into Focus

Micah Hanks·April 29, 2025

New data from the MIRI EGS Galaxy and AGN (MEGA) survey showcases the power of the James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-Infrared imaging capabilities.

Dark Energy’s Early Universe Behavior Was More Exotic Than Expected, New DESI Data Suggest

Avi Loeb·April 27, 2025

Exotic properties suggested by recent DESI collaboration data are more likely to apply to dark energy than dark matter, argues Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb.

‘Cosmic Radio’ Detector May Soon End the Hunt for Elusive Dark Matter

Micah Hanks·April 21, 2025

Inspired by the tuning mechanics of an automobile’s radio, a new detector could soon help solve the dark matter mystery.

Physicists Have Unlocked the Secret to the Perfect Cup of Coffee, While Using Fewer Beans

Micah Hanks·April 21, 2025

Getting the perfect cup of coffee as part of your morning ritual may have just gotten easier, thanks to the power of fluid dynamics.

“Scientists Don’t Yet Fully Understand” These Intriguing New Gravitational Wave Detectors Designed by AI

Micah Hanks·April 20, 2025

Promising new designs for gravitational wave detectors developed by artificial intelligence have left scientists with new questions about the cosmos.

Engineers are Creating 3D ‘Optical Knots’ by Manipulating Laser Beams

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·April 19, 2025

Engineers at Duke University have successfully manipulated laser beams to create intricate 3D patterns known as 'optical knots.'

New ‘Spinning Universe’ Theory Could Explain a Decades-Old Cosmological Mystery

Ryan Whalen·April 18, 2025

The entire universe may be rotating, like its individual parts do, potentially explaining the “Hubble tension,” which perplexes scientists.

Einstein’s Unified Field Theory Realized? New Theory Unites Electromagnetism and Gravity Through Geometry

Micah Hanks·April 16, 2025

Researchers say they may have achieved Einstein's vision of a "unified field theory" that can unite two of nature's fundamental forces.

Chasing Shadows: New Breakthrough Brings Elusive Neutrino Mystery Into Focus

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·April 16, 2025

Physicists at KATRIN in Germany have found an upper limit to the mass of the neutrino, a subatomic particle of the Standard Model.

“Quantum-Level Perspective” of Subatomic Particle Sprays Are Revealing New Quantum Secrets

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·April 12, 2025

Physicists studied proton interactions at the Large Hadron Collider to see if they could find quantum entanglement as a result.

“This is Something We Did Not See Coming.” New Physics from Odd Shapes Predicts what Appears as Random Motion

Ryan Whalen·April 11, 2025

Basic physics quickly gets messy in an irregular world, scientists discover in new research on the old problem of a ball rolling downhill.

Death by Dark Energy? A Cosmic Game of Russian Roulette

Avi Loeb·April 10, 2025

Call it cosmic Russian roulette: Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb outlines a possible cosmic doomsday scenario involving dark energy.

Curious Grad Student Accidentally Discovers Shape-Changing Liquid That Bends the Laws of Thermodynamics

Ryan Whalen·April 9, 2025

Bendng the laws of thermodynamics, University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have discovered a surprising "shape-changing liquid."

Strange “Supermazes” Are Stretching Our Understanding of Black Holes Beyond General Relativity

Micah Hanks·April 9, 2025

Physicists are reshaping our understanding of black holes in new research that maps theoretical structures within them known as “supermazes.”

No Big Bang? Groundbreaking New Theory Could Upend the Standard Model of Cosmology

Micah Hanks·April 8, 2025

A new theory challenges the standard model of cosmology, arguing that dark matter and dark energy are not the forces behind cosmic expansion.

Hot Quantum Physics: Scientists Create Schrödinger’s Cat at Higher Temperatures

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·April 7, 2025

Researchers have found they can create quantum cat states at warmer temperatures, making these systems more robust to noise.

New “Impossible” Material Leads Researchers to a Quantum Computing Breakthrough

Ryan Whalen·April 7, 2025

An impossible quantum structure has now been fabricated, potentially leading the way to new developments in quantum computing. 

Black Hole Radiation: A Surprising Ally in the Search for Life?

Chrissy Newton·April 4, 2025

A surprising new study suggests the intense radiation from active galactic nuclei from a black hole might support life instead of destroying it.

DARPA is Using Earth’s Atmosphere as a Sensor to Detect Secret Explosions and Spacecraft Reentries

Micah Hanks·April 2, 2025

DARPA is using Earth’s atmosphere as a powerful sensor, allowing the detection of events like rocket reentries and illicit detonations.

Quantum Computing Breakthrough: Photon Router Transforms Microwave Qubits into Light Pulses

Ryan Whalen·April 2, 2025

A quantum computer breakthrough was made by Harvard physicists with a photon router, a powerful optical interface for quantum networks. 

CERN Charts a Path to Unlocking Deeper Mysteries of the Universe as Circular Collider Moves Closer to Reality

Ryan Whalen·April 2, 2025

CERN has completed a feasibility assessment on a Future Circular Collider (FCC), a potential successor to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

Physicists Are Decoding Mysterious Behavior of ‘Strange Metals’ Using Quantum Information

Ryan Whalen·March 31, 2025

New findings are shedding light on the link between quantum entanglement and the anomalous behavior of strange metals.

Breakthrough in Quantum Magnetism Simulation Marks Turning Point for Quantum Computing

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·March 29, 2025

Researchers at Quantinuum, CalTech, and other institutes have successfully used a quantum computer to simulate quantum magnetism.

‘Impossible’ Device Physicists Said Wouldn’t Work Just Generated Electricity from the Earth’s Rotation

Christopher Plain·March 27, 2025

A controversial device that most scientists said was impossible has successfully generated electricity from the Earth's rotation.

High-Energy Neutrinos May Hint at New Physics—or New Civilizations

Avi Loeb·March 27, 2025

Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb discusses how scientists trace the cosmic journey of high-energy neutrinos from the Big Bang to the ocean floor.

Ultrafast Laser Breakthrough Reveals Light’s Ability to Instantly Transform Properties of Matter

Ryan Whalen·March 25, 2025

The effects of ultra-fast lasers that can change material states in attoseconds are finally understood, thanks to new Israeli research. 

Physicists Use Optical Vortex Beams to Control Ionization for the First Time

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·March 24, 2025

Physicists at the University of Ottawa add an orbital spin to their laser beams to control the movement of electrons in their setup.

“We Might Need to Rethink Our Standard Model of Cosmology.” Largest 3D Universal Map Ever Could Solve Dark Energy Mystery

Micah Hanks·March 20, 2025

The largest 3D universal map ever produced is causing scientists to rethink our standard model of cosmology.

Physicists Create Time Quasicrystal that Defies Common Perceptions of Time and Motion

Christopher Plain·March 20, 2025

Physicists have just created the first-ever time quasicrystal, a new phase of matter that appears to defy concepts of time and motion.

NASA Successfully Launches EZIE Mission to Explore Earth’s Electrojets with Help from Citizen Scientists 

Ryan Whalen·March 20, 2025

NASA's Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer mission launched March 14, to study Earth's Electrojets and improve space weather predictions. 

Elusive Neutrinos Detected Deep Within the Ocean Could Provide Clues to Quantum Gravity

Ryan Whalen·March 20, 2025

Neutrinos may be the key to quantum gravity, potentially leading to a unified theory combining quantum mechanics and general relativity.

Virtual Headphones? Audio Engineers Create ‘Audible Enclaves,’ Where Only the Listener Can Hear

Christopher Plain·March 19, 2025

Researchers have created customized 'audio enclaves' that work like a virtual headset where only the listener can hear the sound.

A Breakthrough in “Twisting” Light Could Revolutionize Electronics like OLEDs and Night Vision

Christopher Plain·March 14, 2025

A test of customized organic semiconductors capable of twisting light dramatically improved the efficiency of OLED displays.

Mysterious Filament Formation Revealed in First-Ever Images of Plasma Instability

Ryan Whalen·March 11, 2025

A plasma instability has been photographed for the first time, showcasing electron beams forming spaghetti-like filaments.

Laser Light Transformed Into a Supersolid in Groundbreaking Experiment

Ryan Whalen·March 8, 2025

Physicists have transformed laser light into a supersolid, marking an entirely new process for achieving this mysterious state of matter.

Primordial Black Holes: Could Dark Matter Hold a Deadly Secret?

Avi Loeb·March 8, 2025

Is it possible that dark matter, which makes up 85% of the cosmic matter budget, is simply a collection of primordial black holes?

Scientists Solve Centuries-Old Mystery of Why Hot Droplets Rebound Off Cool Surfaces

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·March 3, 2025

Scientists say hot droplets on cool surfaces show properties similar to the Leidenfrost effect, potentially advancing fire proof materials.

Unusual New Materials “May Hold the Key” to Unlocking Holy Grail of High-Temperature Superconductivity

Christopher Plain·February 26, 2025

Claims of a new family of superconducting materials that can operate at relatively high temperatures have physicists excited.

Scientists Reveal the Discovery of “Quipu,” the Largest Cosmic Superstructure Ever Seen

Micah Hanks·February 24, 2025

Astronomers have discovered a cosmic superstructure so massive it reshapes our understanding of the universe's largest-scale composition.

Physicists Thought This “Doubly Magic” Atomic Nucleus was Perfectly Spherical. An Unexpected Discovery Says Otherwise.

Micah Hanks·February 23, 2025

A long-held belief involving lead-208 challenges past beliefs that the element’s atomic nucleus is a perfect sphere.

James Webb Space Telescope Detects ‘Chaos’ at the Heart of the Galaxy that Defies Astronomer’s Predictions

Micah Hanks·February 23, 2025

New observations made by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have revealed a chaotic and perpetual light show occurring at the galaxy’s center, revealing phenomena that defy current models.  

Static Electricity Gets a Jolt as Scientists Solve Decades-Old Mystery

Ryan Whalen·February 19, 2025

New research out of Australia is helping to bring order to the enduring chaos involving static electricity.

White Dwarf Supernovae May Hold the Key to Dark Energy and Unresolved Cosmic Mysteries

Ryan Whalen·February 15, 2025

Recent observations of white dwarf explosions have revealed new insights into their diversity and relationship to dark energy.

“Astronomy is Facing an Existential crisis,” Says Researcher Who Solved Radio Telescope Mystery

Ryan Whalen·February 14, 2025

An American Astronomy team at Brown University found themselves in a mystery when an Australian telescope recorded some perplexing data.

Department of Energy Scientists Discover Unexpected New Method of Detecting High-Energy Protons

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·February 13, 2025

Department of Energy researchers have discovered a novel means of detecting high-energy protons.

High-Energy Detection from Deep in the Ocean Marks “A New Chapter In Neutrino Astronomy”

Ryan Whalen·February 12, 2025

The most powerful neutrino on record, with help from a deep-sea sensor, has provided the first evidence for high-energy neutrinos.

Quantum Computers Simulate Particle Creation in an Expanding Universe

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·February 10, 2025

Researchers have successfully simulated particle creation in an expanding universe using IBM's advanced quantum computers.

Lasers and Space-Time-Separated Atomic Clocks Reveal New Secrets About Dark Matter

Christopher Plain·February 8, 2025

An innovative approach in the search for dark matter using space/time-separated atomic clocks and lasers has yielded tantalizing results.

Watch This ‘Intelligent’ Liquid That Magically Solves Mazes Without Any Assistance

Christopher Plain·February 6, 2025

An "intelligent" liquid that has baffled scientists due to its ability to "choose" its own path to solve a maze has finally been explained.