Pressure from individual particles measured for the first time
A device made using a tiny bead floating in a beam of light can measure extremely small pressures and could help find a mysterious kind of neutrino
Physics
Frank Close: Finding the building blocks of the universe
Over the past century, we have peeled back the layers and uncovered more about the make-up of subatomic particles than ever before, culminating in 2012 with the discovery of the Higgs boson. Frank…
The 50-year quest to create a quantum spin liquid may finally be over
Creating quantum entanglement inside a solid material is tricky in the lab – but crystals buried in the earth could be growing it naturally. Now one scientist says he has proof he’s found them
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.
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