All Stories by Andrew Grant
- Astronomy
Afterglow alerts astronomers to gamma-ray burst
Astronomers have spotted the remnant glow from a gamma-ray burst without first observing its beam of high-energy gamma rays.
- Physics
Rubidium atoms used to record coldest temperature — ever
A swarm of rubidium atoms has been cooled to about 50 trillionths of a kelvin, making it the coldest substance ever measured.
- Particle Physics
Exotic particle turns out to be quark molecule
Subatomic particles made of quarks can bind together to form molecules, according to a computer simulation of a long-studied mysterious particle.
- Materials Science
A new spin on guiding sound waves along a one-way route
A proposed acoustic topological insulator made of an array of spinning metal rods would channel sound waves in one direction along its edge, preventing any sound from bouncing away.
- Quantum Physics
One photon wrangles 3,000 atoms into quantum entanglement
A single photon can trigger the creation of quantum entanglement between thousands of atoms.
- Quantum Physics
Quantum links provide clues to causation
Quantum entanglement enables physicists to determine cause and effect just by tracking the association between two measurements.
- Materials Science
Copper-wire ‘metamirror’ reflects selectively
A metamaterial mirror reflects only a single wavelength of light, potentially leading to more compact and affordable radio antennas.
- Quantum Physics
Finding quantum entanglement in a crowd
Physicists have measured entanglement between pairs of photons within a macroscopic beam of light, a first step toward understanding how particles’ quantum connections lead to large-scale effects.
- Physics
High-temperature superconductivity record awaits confirmation
A hydrogen-sulfur compound under pressure may transport electrical current with no resistance at a record high temperature.
- Particle Physics
Sam Ting tries to expose dark matter’s mysteries
Particle physicist Sam Ting is applying a meticulous approach to analyzing positrons in space, testing whether they can reveal clues about dark matter.
- Quantum Physics
Light trick can retrieve missed messages
Even if photons pass you by, you can still snatch a signal from their electromagnetic wake, physicists propose.
- Quantum Physics
Trying to get the down-low on gravity
A twist on a classic quantum mechanics experiment could lead to the discovery of elusive gravitons.
