Astronomers pin down the origins of a planetary odd couple
New measurements of a hot Jupiter and its mini-Neptune companion suggest both planets formed surprisingly far away from their host star.
Physics
300-year-old experiment could become world’s best dark matter detector
An update to an experiment run by Henry Cavendish in 1773 could be a cheaper and faster way to spot a potential dark matter particle – and may be 10,000 times more sensitive
An unorthodox version of quantum theory could reveal what reality is
The implications of quantum mechanics suggest reality isn’t as solid as we think it is, but physicist David Bohm had a spin on the theory that restores reality. Columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan…
Unlocking mysteries of the universe through math
Mathematician Amanda Burcroff is developing frameworks for understanding algebraic and geometric spaces in science as part of the School of Science Dean’s Postdoctoral Fellowship.
The hidden structure behind a widely used class of materials
Relaxor ferroelectrics have been used in electronics and sensors for decades, but the source of their unique properties was a mystery until now.
We have figured out a new way to send messages into the past
A technique inspired by the film Interstellar suggests a new way of communicating backwards in time, but it could help improve conventional communication systems as well
Transforming deep-space signals into cathedral sound
An immersive sound installation at Oulu Cathedral, Finland, co-created by MIT Associate Professor Kiyoshi Masui, transforms more than 4,000 cosmic signals into spatial audio.
Weird ‘transdimensional’ state of matter is neither 2D nor 3D
An experiment with a carbon material in a magnetic field has revealed a novel way for electrons to move, which doesn’t fully belong in two or three spatial dimensions
Is consciousness more fundamental to reality than quantum physics?
The idea that everything that exists can be built from the bottom up has long held sway among physicists. Now, a new kind of science is under construction that centres conscious experience – and…