Physics
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Climate
Why some rainbows are all red
Red rainbows are caused by the position of the sun in the sky, appearing more often during sunrise and sunset, new research finds.
- Physics
General relativity caught in action around black hole
X-rays enable scientists to spot a black hole twisting the surrounding fabric of spacetime, just as Einstein’s theory predicts.
- Physics
Uncovering the science of sand dune ‘booms’
Mechanical engineer and geophysicist Nathalie Vriend explores noises in the desert that are triggered by sand sliding down dunes.
- Particle Physics
LHC restart provides tantalizing hints of a possible new particle
The first comprehensive analyses of the recently restarted Large Hadron Collider yields no clear-cut discoveries but at least one intriguing hint of a new particle.
- Quantum Physics
Year in review: Quantum spookiness is real
A new version of an experiment proposed in 1964 confirmed a counterintuitive tenet of quantum mechanics.
- Physics
Year in review: Big stride for superconductivity
Compelling but not quite confirmed research in 2015 suggested that hydrogen sulfide is a superconductor at temperatures as high as 203 kelvins.
- Particle Physics
Year in review: Collider creates pentaquarks
Two particles discovered in 2015 are each composed of five quarks.
- Cosmology
Debate grows over whether X-rays are a sign of dark matter
The dwarf galaxy Draco, which is chock-full of dark matter, doesn’t emit a band of X-rays that researchers hoped were produced by the mysterious invisible stuff.
- Quantum Physics
Google’s quantum computer speeds up, but practical use is unclear
Google’s D-Wave quantum computer is getting faster, but it’s still unclear whether it will ever outperform regular computers at completing useful tasks.
- Chemistry
Elusive chemical reaction transition state captured
A new method provides a detailed look at the elusive transition state.
- Physics
There’s no hiding from new camera
A new camera tracks objects hidden around a corner by detecting light echoes, similar to the way bats use sound to find prey.
- Chemistry
‘Q-carbon’ may offer quick route to diamonds
Q-carbon might be the third form of solid carbon, but some scientists have doubts.
