All Stories by Emily Conover
- Space
50 years ago, NASA’s space shuttle program got the green light
For over 30 years, space shuttles helped revolutionize science. Now, NASA is tackling new frontiers with help from commercial spaceflight companies.
- Astronomy
An early outburst portends a star’s imminent death
An eruption before a stellar explosion was the first early warning sign for a standard type of supernova.
- Quantum Physics
Quantum particles can feel the influence of gravitational fields they never touch
A quantum phenomenon predicted in 1959, the Aharonov-Bohm effect, also applies to gravity.
- Physics
Antiprotons show no hint of unexpected matter-antimatter differences
The ratio of electric charge to mass for protons mirrors that of their antimatter counterparts.
- Quantum Physics
Quantum physics requires imaginary numbers to explain reality
Quantum theory based only on real numbers fails to explain the results of two new experiments.
- Astronomy
The only known pulsar duo sheds new light on general relativity and more
Einstein was right, among other insights gleaned from watching a one-of-a-kind system of two pulsating dead stars for 16 years.
- Health & Medicine
For 50 years, CT scans have saved lives, revealed beauty and more
In 1971, the first CT scan of a patient laid bare the human brain. That was just the beginning of a whole new way to view human anatomy.
- Quantum Physics
Physicists have coaxed ultracold atoms into an elusive form of quantum matter
Quantum spin liquids could be used to help protect fragile information in quantum computers.
- Quantum Physics
Scientists finally detected a quantum effect that blocks atoms from scattering light
When all available quantum states are full, atoms can’t scatter light, thanks to the Pauli exclusion principle, new experiments show.
- Physics
New high-speed video reveals the physics of a finger snap
Inspired by the infamous snap of the Avengers rival Thanos, scientists set out to investigate the physics behind finger snapping.
- Particle Physics
A new particle accelerator aims to unlock secrets of bizarre atomic nuclei
The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams will help scientists unlock the inner workings of atomic nuclei and explore how elements formed in the cosmos.
- Space
A stunning simulation re-creates how M87’s black hole launches plasma jets
Two jets, thousands of light-years long, are re-created in a computer simulation, which suggests that M87’s black hole must be spinning rapidly.
