Physics

  1. Animals

    These transparent fish turn rainbow with white light. Now, we know why

    Repeated structures in the ghost catfish’s muscles separate white light that passes through their bodies into different wavelengths.

    By
  2. Math

    Here’s a peek into the mathematics of black holes

    The universe tells us slowly rotating black holes are stable. A nearly 1,000-page proof confirms it.

    By
  3. Physics

    Static electricity helps parasitic nematodes glom onto victims

    The small electric charge generated by a moving insect is enough to affect the trajectory of a parasitic nematode’s leap so it lands right on its host.

    By
  4. Particle Physics

    ‘Ghost Particle’ chronicles the neutrino’s discovery and what’s left to learn

    Author James Riordon discusses his new book, why neutrinos are so important and how physicists are on the verge of making big discoveries about them.

    By
  5. Physics

    Is this the superconductor of scientists’ dreams? A new claim faces scrutiny

    It’s big, if true: transmitting electricity with no resistance at room temperature and moderate pressure. But controversy dogs the team making the claim.

    By
  6. Particle Physics

    Muons unveiled new details about a void in Egypt’s Great Pyramid

    The subatomic particles revealed the dimensions of the void, discovered in 2016, and helped researchers know where to stick a camera inside.

    By
  7. Climate

    An incendiary form of lightning may surge under climate change

    Relatively long-lived lightning strikes are the most likely to spark wildfires and may become more common as the climate warms.

    By
  8. Physics

    The standard model of particle physics passed one of its strictest tests yet

    An experiment with a single electron, trapped for months on end, produced one of the most precise tests yet of the standard model of particle physics.

    By
  9. Quantum Physics

    Google’s quantum computer reached an error-correcting milestone

    A larger array of quantum bits outperformed a smaller one in tests performed by Google researchers, suggesting quantum computers could be scaled up.

    By
  10. Animals

    Glassy eyes may help young crustaceans hide from predators in plain sight

    Nanospheres in the eye reflect light that matches the color of the surrounding water, possibly making the animals invisible to nearby predators.

    By
  11. Physics

    Here’s why icicles made from pure water don’t form ripples

    A new study explains why icicles made from pure water have irregular shapes rather than the ripples typical of the salty icicles found in nature.

    By
  12. Physics

    Physicists stored data in quantum holograms made of twisted light

    Light that travels in corkscrew-like paths provides a way to make holograms that store large amounts of data in ultrasecure packages.

    By