Physics

Physics

Atomic clocks take a step toward redefining the second

Measurements of the clocks’ frequencies provide the most precise clock comparisons yet, with uncertainties less than a quadrillionth of a percent.

Physics

Can room-temperature superconductors work without extreme pressure?

The next generation of materials that conduct electricity with no resistance could shrug off the need for high pressure and low temperatures.

Physics

A tiny gold ball is the smallest object to have its gravity measured

A gold sphere with a mass of about 90 milligrams pulled on another sphere in accordance with Newton’s law of universal gravitation.

Physics

A magnetic trap captures elusive ultracold plasma

Pinning plasma within a set of magnetic fields offers physicists a new way to study clean energy, space weather and the inner workings of stars.

Materials Science

This soft robot withstands crushing pressures at the ocean’s greatest depths

An autonomous robot that mimics the adaptations of deep-sea snailfish to extreme conditions was successfully tested at the bottom of the ocean.

Physics

Black hole visionaries push the boundaries of knowledge in a new film

‘Black Holes: The Edge of All We Know’ follows researchers with the Event Horizon Telescope and other physicists working to understand black holes.

Tech

A new laser-based random number generator is the fastest of its kind

A new laser’s chaotic light beam lets the device generate multiple number sequences at once, similar to throwing multiple dice at a time.

Particle Physics

Protons’ antimatter is even more lopsided than we thought

The SeaQuest experiment finds that down antiquarks within the proton are more prevalent than up antiquarks.

Physics

Tiny, sunlight-powered aircraft could soar beyond airplanes’ reach

Microfliers levitate when hit with light, in conditions like those high in Earth’s atmosphere.

Physics

50 years ago, scientists were on a quest for quarks

In the 1970s, physicists confirmed particles called quarks existed. Fifty years later, many kinds of quarks in many combinations have been discovered.

Quantum Physics

‘Designer molecules’ could create tailor-made quantum devices

Scientists are making molecules suited to a variety of quantum tasks by building them up, atom by atom.

Physics

The Milky Way’s newfound high-energy glow hints at the secrets of cosmic rays

Gamma rays with energies approaching a quadrillion electron volts emanate from the disk of the Milky Way.