Physics

  1. Physics

    What a nearby kilonova would look like

    Physicists imagined what we’d see in the sky if two neutron stars collided just 1,000 light-years from Earth.

    By
  2. Physics

    LIGO is on the lookout for these 8 sources of gravitational waves

    Gravitational wave hunters are on a cosmic scavenger hunt. Here’s what they’re hoping to find.

    By
  3. Quantum Physics

    Antimatter keeps with quantum theory. It’s both particle and wave

    A new variation of the classic double-slit experiment confirms that antimatter, like normal matter, has wave-particle duality.

    By
  4. Physics

    LIGO and Virgo made 5 likely gravitational wave detections in a month

    It took decades to find the first gravitational wave event, and now they’re a weekly occurrence.

    By
  5. Physics

    How scientists traced a uranium cube to Nazi Germany’s nuclear reactor program

    New research suggests that the Nazis had enough uranium to make a working nuclear reactor.

    By
  6. Physics

    Here’s what causes the aurora-like glow known as STEVE

    Amateur astronomer images and satellite data are revealing what causes the strange atmospheric glow called STEVE.

    By
  7. Science & Society

    A science-themed escape room gives the brain a workout

    Quantum physicist Paul Kwiat reveals what it takes do well in LabEscape, his science-themed escape room.

    By
  8. Chemistry

    50 years ago, scientists fought over element 104’s discovery

    A conflict known as the Transfermium Wars marked a contentious struggle over the search for new elements beginning in the 1960s.

    By
  9. Particle Physics

    This is the slowest radioactive decay ever spotted

    Scientists have made the first direct observations of an exotic type of radioactive decay called two-neutrino double electron capture.

    By
  10. Astronomy

    Seeing very far away and hitting closer to home

    Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses the first-ever image of a black hole and what can be done to help young children with anxiety.

    By
  11. Physics

    The M87 black hole image showed the best way to measure black hole masses

    The first image of M87’s black hole suggests it is 6.5 billion times the mass of the sun — close to what was expected based on how stars move around it.

    By
  12. Materials Science

    A new graphene foam stays squishy at the coldest temperatures

    Researchers have now made a material that is superelastic even at extremely cold temperatures, which could be helpful in space.

    By