Physics(Page 4)

Learn how physics rule the world (and everything beyond it) with explainers on Earth's geological processes, quantum and particle physics, robotics, and more.

Latest in Physics

Platinum atoms and liquid graphene seen in red and purple under a microscope next to a graphic of material particle locations

See the first video of solitary solid atoms playing with liquid See the first video of solitary solid atoms playing with liquid

By Purbita Saha

Diving mannequins enter a pool so researchers can measure what forces affect them.

What engineers learned about diving injuries by throwing dummies into a pool What engineers learned about diving injuries by throwing dummies into a pool

Swimmer in a black speedo soaring off a green diving board

Have we been measuring gravity wrong this whole time? Have we been measuring gravity wrong this whole time?

By Eva Botkin-Kowacki

White cylinder with wires, part of the LZ dark matter detector run the US Department of Energy

The world’s best dark matter detector whiffed on its first try The world’s best dark matter detector whiffed on its first try

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

CERN's LHC resumed work on Tuesday.

What we learned from the Large Hadron Collider on its first day back in business What we learned from the Large Hadron Collider on its first day back in business

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

Ukraine's Maryna Viazovska holding her Fields Medal.

These 4 problem-solvers just won one of math’s biggest prizes These 4 problem-solvers just won one of math’s biggest prizes

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

LHC consumes as much energy as a city. Can particle accelerators be greener?

The green revolution is coming for power-hungry particle accelerators The green revolution is coming for power-hungry particle accelerators

Stacks of white calcite on a black background in a mineral catalog

Earth has more than 10,000 kinds of minerals. This massive new catalog describes them all. Earth has more than 10,000 kinds of minerals. This massive new catalog describes them all.

Photodetectors in a circular array in a large neutrino detector experiment at Fermilab

This ghostly particle may be why dark matter keeps eluding us This ghostly particle may be why dark matter keeps eluding us

Rogue black hole in Milky Way galaxy in an artist's rendition

‘Rogue black holes’ might be neither ‘rogue’ nor ‘black holes’ ‘Rogue black holes’ might be neither ‘rogue’ nor ‘black holes’

By Eva Botkin-Kowacki

Gold and green champagne bottle with cork popped and bubbles rushing out on a black background

Popping a champagne cork creates supersonic shockwaves Popping a champagne cork creates supersonic shockwaves

By Purbita Saha

Sierra Negra volcano erupting in the Galapagos Islands in 2018

Volcanic eruptions are unpredictable, but these geologists cracked the code Volcanic eruptions are unpredictable, but these geologists cracked the code

Physicist Ann Nelson broke barriers—for herself and for those who’d come after her Physicist Ann Nelson broke barriers—for herself and for those who’d come after her

By Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

The cryomodule being delivered to SLAC's X-ray facility.

How to make an X-ray laser that’s colder than space How to make an X-ray laser that’s colder than space

jocelyn-bell-burnell

Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered pulsars, but someone else won the Nobel Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered pulsars, but someone else won the Nobel

By Lina Zeldovich

carolyn beatrice parker

Racial and economic barriers kept Carolyn Beatrice Parker from realizing her full potential Racial and economic barriers kept Carolyn Beatrice Parker from realizing her full potential

By Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

Images from April 1981 issue of Popular Science.

From the archives: Inside the tantalizing quest to sense gravity waves From the archives: Inside the tantalizing quest to sense gravity waves

By Bill Gourgey

Chien Shiung-Wu

Chien-Shiung Wu’s work defied the laws of physics Chien-Shiung Wu’s work defied the laws of physics

By Yasmin Tayag

An image of the 1901 issue of Popular Science Monthly

From the archives: The discovery of electrons breaks open the subatomic era From the archives: The discovery of electrons breaks open the subatomic era

By Bill Gourgey

The Large Hadron Collider's magnet chain.

The souped-up Large Hadron Collider is back to take on its weightiest questions yet The souped-up Large Hadron Collider is back to take on its weightiest questions yet

A collage of images from the Popular Science article “The theory of relativity and the new mechanics” (William Marshall, June 1914)

From the archives: The Theory of Relativity gains speed From the archives: The Theory of Relativity gains speed

By Bill Gourgey

Photo of LHC tunnel.

The standard model of particle physics may be broken The standard model of particle physics may be broken

By Roger Jones / The Conversation

Edward Bouchet portrait

Edward A. Bouchet paved a path for generations of Black students Edward A. Bouchet paved a path for generations of Black students

By Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

a bunch of beads glom together and float in air

These levitating beads can teach physicists about spinning celestial objects These levitating beads can teach physicists about spinning celestial objects

By Lauren J. Young

This one-way superconductor could be a step toward eternal electricity

This one-way superconductor could be a step toward eternal electricity This one-way superconductor could be a step toward eternal electricity

CERN worker examining semiconducting magnets of Large Hardon Collider accelerator

The biggest particle collider in the world gets back to work The biggest particle collider in the world gets back to work

By Purbita Saha

Try as you might, you can't get the creme to stick to one side of an Oreo.

What MIT’s new ‘Oreometer’ revealed about twisting Oreos What MIT’s new ‘Oreometer’ revealed about twisting Oreos

By Philip Kiefer

Starburst galaxy in pastel colors in Hubble composite image

The most distant galaxy we’ve ever discovered might have closely followed the Big Bang The most distant galaxy we’ve ever discovered might have closely followed the Big Bang

Fermilab's Collider Detector.

This subatomic particle’s surprising heft has weighty consequences This subatomic particle’s surprising heft has weighty consequences

Rare platinum ore nugget on a black background

Manipulating atomic motion could make metals stronger and bendier Manipulating atomic motion could make metals stronger and bendier

Silver pocket watch being swung on a chain on a black background to symbolize a time crystal

Time crystals just got a little easier to make Time crystals just got a little easier to make

The ADMX experiment, used to look for axions.

Meet the mysterious particle that’s the dark horse in dark matter Meet the mysterious particle that’s the dark horse in dark matter

By Leto Sapunar

Merging white dwarf stars can create a new kind of star.

Rare ‘upside-down stars’ are shrouded in the remains of cannibalized suns Rare ‘upside-down stars’ are shrouded in the remains of cannibalized suns

By Leto Sapunar

An atomic clock at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's JILA.

The most precise atomic clocks ever are proving Einstein right—again The most precise atomic clocks ever are proving Einstein right—again

Figure skater's boots and blades on an ice rink

Why the quadruple axel jump is nearly impossible to land Why the quadruple axel jump is nearly impossible to land

Two chemists pulling apart an old computer in a rare earth metal recycling experiment

Inside the high-powered process that could recycle rare earth metals Inside the high-powered process that could recycle rare earth metals

A person looks at the Milky Way

Our universe probably isn’t special enough to be in a multiverse Our universe probably isn’t special enough to be in a multiverse

By Leto Sapunar

Three excited kids in robotics class printing robot toys on a 3D printer

The future might be filled with squishy robots printed to order The future might be filled with squishy robots printed to order

Iceberg melts into various shapes

Ice doesn’t always melt the same way—and these visuals prove it Ice doesn’t always melt the same way—and these visuals prove it

Scientists found a fleeting particle from the universe’s first moments

Scientists found a fleeting particle from the universe’s first moments Scientists found a fleeting particle from the universe’s first moments

Whirlpool of water to represent a quantum tornado from a physics experiment

How the world’s first ‘quantum tornadoes’ came to be How the world’s first ‘quantum tornadoes’ came to be

NASA engineer standing in a tunnel holding six of the James Webb Telescope's hexagonal primary mirrors in the honeycomb formation

The James Webb telescope could help solve the mystery of dark matter The James Webb telescope could help solve the mystery of dark matter

By Leto Sapunar

Physicists close in on the exceedingly short life of the Higgs boson

Physicists close in on the exceedingly short life of the Higgs boson Physicists close in on the exceedingly short life of the Higgs boson

Astronomers may have found a galaxy that formed without dark matter

Astronomers may have found a galaxy that formed without dark matter Astronomers may have found a galaxy that formed without dark matter

By Leto Sapunar

siliicon droplets

Physicists just gifted us ‘quantum spin liquid,’ a weird new state of matter Physicists just gifted us ‘quantum spin liquid,’ a weird new state of matter

an infrared heat map of butterfly wings

These infrared images show just how alive butterflies’ wings are These infrared images show just how alive butterflies’ wings are

IBM quantum eagle chip

IBM’s latest quantum chip breaks the elusive 100-qubit barrier IBM’s latest quantum chip breaks the elusive 100-qubit barrier

By Charlotte Hu

Snapping your fingers is a move worthy of a professional athlete

Snapping your fingers is a move worthy of a professional athlete Snapping your fingers is a move worthy of a professional athlete

By Elana Spivack

Physicists want to create energy like stars do. These two ways are their best shot.

Physicists want to create energy like stars do. These two ways are their best shot. Physicists want to create energy like stars do. These two ways are their best shot.

an abstract image of light bending

When light flashes for a quintillionth of a second, things get weird When light flashes for a quintillionth of a second, things get weird

Solar flare on the sun's orange surface in a NASA image

NASA images show the sun has had a rough week NASA images show the sun has had a rough week

By Elana Spivack

X-rays are revealing new clues about a shipwreck from 1545

X-rays are revealing new clues about a shipwreck from 1545 X-rays are revealing new clues about a shipwreck from 1545

Caltech AWS quantum computing center

Amazon’s venture into the bizarre world of quantum computing has a new home base Amazon’s venture into the bizarre world of quantum computing has a new home base

By Charlotte Hu

Chaos spelled in Scrabble pieces

Chaos is more predictable than you think Chaos is more predictable than you think

By Mitchell Newberry/The Conversation

A key part of the big bang remains troublingly elusive

A key part of the big bang remains troublingly elusive A key part of the big bang remains troublingly elusive

By Charlie Wood

A person noseriding on a longboard, surfing a wave on greenish water.

Use physics to pull off gravity-defying surfing moves Use physics to pull off gravity-defying surfing moves

By Noah Lederman

Illustrations of Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann, and Giorgio Parisi.

This year’s Physics Nobel honors work on the complex systems underlying climate change This year’s Physics Nobel honors work on the complex systems underlying climate change

By Elana Spivack

The technology behind Shrinky Dinks can make better robots

The technology behind Shrinky Dinks can make better robots The technology behind Shrinky Dinks can make better robots

We finally have a working supersolid. Here’s why that matters.

We finally have a working supersolid. Here’s why that matters. We finally have a working supersolid. Here’s why that matters.

What the heck is a time crystal, and why are physicists obsessed with them?

What the heck is a time crystal, and why are physicists obsessed with them? What the heck is a time crystal, and why are physicists obsessed with them?

Scientists genetically engineered prehistoric proteins to detect diseases

Scientists genetically engineered prehistoric proteins to detect diseases Scientists genetically engineered prehistoric proteins to detect diseases

Track runner kneeling on starting line

Are all track lanes created equal when it comes to winning gold? Are all track lanes created equal when it comes to winning gold?

By David R. Munro/The Conversation

The world’s worst conductor could be a game changer in the climate crisis

The world’s worst conductor could be a game changer in the climate crisis The world’s worst conductor could be a game changer in the climate crisis

The Physics Of Usain Bolt’s Record-Breaking Sprint

The Physics Of Usain Bolt’s Record-Breaking Sprint The Physics Of Usain Bolt’s Record-Breaking Sprint

By Joey Carmichael