Mathematics of thermodynamics is being rewritten after 200 years
The laws of physics that concern heat and work could gain a firmer mathematical footing thanks to “gauge theory”, which already helps us understand quantum fields
View ArticleThe physicist trying to solve the gravity question
Ivette Fuentes is a professor of quantum mechanics who conducts experiments at the scales where quantum theory and general relativity interplay
View ArticleDoes time come from the entire universe running computations?
Explaining the passage of time has been a gnarly problem in physics basically forever, but physicist and computer scientist Stephen Wolfram has a radical proposal for where it comes from. He discussed...
View ArticleThe strange metals forcing us to rethink how electricity really works
Some 40 years ago, physicists noticed certain metals were conducting electricity in a bizarre way no one could explain. New answers to how and why this happens are forcing us to question how...
View ArticleRandom wobbles in time could finally solve gravity’s greatest mystery
The question of how gravity interacts with the quantum world has long perplexed physicists, but a non-quantum theory of space-time could present an answer
View ArticleThe weirdness of neutrinos could completely rewrite particle physics
A philosopher has put forward an argument for rethinking how particles are defined within the standard model of particle physics
View ArticleSean Carroll: uncovering the mysteries of quantum mechanics
Physicist Sean Carroll explores some of the deepest mysteries in quantum mechanics: the famous double-slit experiment, wave function collapse, the Many Worlds interpretation, entropy and the arrow of time
View ArticleA quantum state that lasts forever may finally be within our grasp
Defying the laws of thermodynamics, experiments are beginning to show that a quantum state that is frozen forever might not be impossible. If we can tame it, it could unlock whole new types of matter
View ArticleAt CERN's Antimatter Factory, scientists probe the mysteries of matter
Inside the Antimatter Factory at CERN, scientists are answering one of the oldest questions in science: Why is there something instead of nothing?
View ArticleFirst working nuclear clock heralds a new era in timekeeping
A clock based on radioactive thorium atoms realises a long-held ambition, demonstrating a technology that could eventually beat the accuracy of today’s best atomic clocks
View ArticleToy universe shows that time could be a quantum illusion
An experiment with a toy universe made up of extremely cold atoms shows how time can emerge from quantum interactions, instead of existing by default
View ArticleWhy we should all take quantum physics extremely personally
Physics is considered a cold, hard science – but it will transform your life if you view it with a bit more subjectivity, says Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
View ArticleCERN’s new chief on the gamble that could fix our picture of reality
Mark Thomson has taken the reins at CERN just as particle physics confronts some of its deepest unknowns – and faces hard choices about what comes next
View ArticlePhysicists are uncovering when nature’s strongest force falters
The strong nuclear force may abruptly loosen its grip on the fundamental particles that make up matter at a special “critical point” – researchers are now getting a clearer picture of when that point...
View ArticleCERN’s new chief on the gamble that could fix our picture of reality
Mark Thomson has taken the reins at CERN just as particle physics confronts some of its deepest unknowns – and faces hard choices about what comes next
View ArticlePhotons behave very strangely if you try to cut them
Particles of light cannot be divided into smaller particles, but if you try to snip off the end of one, instead of shortening it multiplies
View ArticleFirst quantum grandfather clock could probe where gravity comes from
Researchers have designed a quantum version of a pendulum clock. It could shed light on timekeeping in the quantum realm
View ArticleThe day quantum computers break the internet
For years, Q-Day seemed like something from science fiction, but could the day quantum computers break the internet's encryption be closer than we think?
View ArticleWe may finally know why gold stays so shiny
Gold is chemically inert and so doesn't tarnish, but exactly why had been a mystery
View ArticleDoes gravity create reality? A shocking path to a theory of everything
A rewrite of quantum mechanics that includes the force of gravity could finally achieve one of physicists’ biggest goals and reveal the ultimate fuzziness of time
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