Science doesn’t have a monopoly on good ideas
Scientific disciplines often shy away from asking fundamental “what if” questions. But philosophy – if unencumbered by dogma or ideology – has much to offer evidence-based enquiry
Physics
Researchers “reprogram” materials by quickly rearranging their atoms
A new method for precisely moving columns of individual atoms within a material could give rise to exotic quantum properties.
Scientists finally solve the 100-year mystery behind tough tires
For nearly 100 years, reinforced rubber has powered everything from car tires to airplanes, yet scientists never fully understood why adding tiny particles of carbon black made rubber so incredibly…
Quantum breakthrough could revolutionize teleportation and computing
Scientists in Japan have developed a new way to instantly detect elusive quantum “W states,” a major milestone for quantum technology. The breakthrough could help unlock faster quantum…
New quantum algorithm solves “impossible” materials problem in seconds
A new quantum-inspired algorithm has cracked a problem so massive that conventional supercomputers struggle to even approach it. Researchers used the method to simulate extraordinarily complex…
A new way to spot signs of dark matter
Gravitational waves emitted by colliding black holes may bear imprints of dark matter, which physicists could detect with a new model.
Why do particle physicists like spending time in fields?
The concept of a field plays a key role in particle physics, but what exactly is it? From its origins in the study of magnetism to the quantum fields of today, columnist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein goes…
Improving the reliability of circuits for quantum computers
A new technique helps scientists measure a phenomenon that can cause quantum circuits to perform differently than expected, increasing the error in computations.
Where did the laws of physics come from? I think I’ve found the answer
The rules governing gravity and other laws of nature seem like eternal truths, but cosmologist João Magueijo has always questioned their origins. Now, he has a bold new proposal
Scientists put a tiny lump of metal in two places at once in record-breaking quantum experiment
Scientists have pulled off a mind-bending quantum experiment that sounds almost impossible: they showed that tiny metal particles made of thousands of atoms can exist in multiple places at once….