Physics
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Physics
Collisions reveal new evidence of ‘anyon’ quasiparticles’ existence
Scientists report evidence that a class of particle called an anyon appears in two-dimensional materials.
- Space
Red giant stars that eat planets might shine less brightly
Some stars may shine less brightly after ingesting a planet. That finding, if confirmed, could have implications for calculating cosmic distances.
- Quantum Physics
Quantum mechanics means some black hole orbits are impossible to predict
Computer simulations reveal that foreseeing the paths of three orbiting objects sometimes requires precision better than the quantum limit.
- Physics
A mysterious superconductor’s wave could reveal the physics behind the materials
Scientists finally spotted a pair-density wave in a high-temperature superconductor.
- Space
Quasar winds with record energy levels were seen fleeing a distant galaxy
The Hubble Space Telescope has seen the most energetic quasar winds yet, showing these active black holes can blow star-forming gas out of galaxies.
- Physics
Einstein’s letters illuminate a mind grappling with quantum mechanics
The latest volume of Einstein’s papers covers the infancy of quantum mechanics and new challenges to the theory of relativity.
- Space
A controversial X-ray glow didn’t show up in the Milky Way’s dark matter halo
A new look at old data suggests that an odd X-ray glow that emanates from some galaxies cannot come from decaying dark matter.
- Particle Physics
Particles called axions could reveal how matter conquered the universe
Axions, if they exist, may solve not one, not two, but three pressing puzzles of particle physics.
- Environment
Legos may take hundreds of years to break down in the ocean
Sturdy types of plastic may persist in seawater for much long than scientists previously thought.
- Physics
New telescopes could help spot ‘photon ring’ of the first black hole ever imaged
Expanding the Event Horizon Telescope by adding telescopes in space could help capture the rings around galaxy M87’s supermassive black hole.
- Physics
How slime mold helped scientists map out the cosmic web
Tapping a similarity between a slime mold’s lacy web and the vast threads of matter that connect galaxies, astronomers visualized the cosmic web.
- Physics
Even a weird hypernucleus confirms a fundamental symmetry of nature
A particle accelerator experiment reveals that a symmetry of nature holds up and hints at what could lurk at the heart of a neutron star.
