All Stories by Emily Conover
- Science & Society
A science-themed escape room gives the brain a workout
Quantum physicist Paul Kwiat reveals what it takes do well in LabEscape, his science-themed escape room.
- Chemistry
50 years ago, scientists fought over element 104’s discovery
A conflict known as the Transfermium Wars marked a contentious struggle over the search for new elements beginning in the 1960s.
- Astronomy
Meet one of the first scientists to see the historic black hole image
Kazunori Akiyama was one of the first scientists to see the black hole snapshot.
- Astronomy
All you need to know about the history of black holes
From dreaming up black holes to snapping the first picture of one, the history of black holes has had many twists.
- Astronomy
The first picture of a black hole opens a new era of astrophysics
Astronomers used a network of telescopes around the world to take a picture of the supermassive black hole in the galaxy M87.
- Math
Mathematicians may have found the fastest way to multiply huge numbers
A new theoretical method for multiplying enormous figures appears to achieve a speed first predicted decades ago.
- Physics
The LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors are back on
Souped-up instruments could spot never-before-seen sources of gravitational waves.
- Quantum Physics
A new quantum engine packs more power than its standard counterparts
A new type of tiny machine harnesses quantum physics to produce more power than a normal engine, under certain conditions.
- Particle Physics
How a proton gets its spin is surprisingly complicated
Pinning down the source of protons’ spin is surprisingly hard to do.
- Astronomy
X-ray ‘chimneys’ connect the Milky Way to mysterious gamma-ray bubbles
Two columns of X-rays that are hundreds of light-years long could explain the existence of giant bubbles of energetic light that sandwich the galaxy.
- Life
Some shrimp make plasma with their claws. Now a 3-D printed claw can too
Scientists used a replica of a shrimp claw to re-create the extreme pressures and temperatures that the animals produce underwater.
- Physics
Ultraprecise atomic clocks put Einstein’s special relativity to the test
Physics obeys the same rules no matter what direction you’re facing, a new experiment confirms.
