Physics
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Particle Physics
William Detmold: Looking deep into atoms’ hearts
MIT theoretical physicist William Detmold probes the fundamental bits of matter that combine to form the nuclei of atoms.
By Andrew Grant - Quantum Physics
Shinsei Ryu: Error-free quantum calculations
Physicist Shinsei Ryu navigates the confusing border between the quantum and everyday realms.
- Particle Physics
Map captures Earth’s antineutrino glow
Tiny subatomic particles called antineutrinos stream away from Earth at different concentrations across the globe, a new map illustrates.
By Meghan Rosen - Physics
Raw chicken, ingenuity make a time-reversal mirror
A new phase-conjugation mirror sends light waves back where they came from, allowing physicists to reconstruct images even if the original light was severely scrambled.
By Andrew Grant - Physics
Invisibility cloaks slim down
An ultrathin invisibility cloak called a skin cloak offers more stealth in a thinner package.
By Andrew Grant - Materials Science
Invisibility cloaks slim down
A new invisibility cloak offers more stealth in a thinner package.
By Andrew Grant - Materials Science
Electron waves refract negatively
Waves of electrons have been bent backward in a sheet of graphene, allowing physicists to focus electrons the way a lens focuses light.
By Andrew Grant - Physics
Nobel laureate finds beauty in science and science in beauty
In ‘A Beautiful Question,’ Frank Wilczek explores links between math and art
- Materials Science
Graphene shows signs of superconductivity
Ultrathin sheets of carbon can conduct electrical current with no resistance at low temperatures.
By Andrew Grant - Earth
The magnetic mystery at the center of the Earth
The history of the planet’s all-important magnetic field has scientists ramping up simulations and lab experiments to resolve a baffling paradox.
- Materials Science
Nanogenerators harvest body’s energy to power devices
Nanogenerators offer body-harvested energy to fuel bionic future
By Beth Mole - Quantum Physics
New experiment verifies quantum spookiness
A new experiment provides the most robust proof that quantum mechanics doesn’t follow the rules we take for granted in everyday life.
By Andrew Grant