Physics

periodic table
Up until 2002, we thought that the heaviest stable element was bismuth: #83 on the periodic table. That's absolutely no longer the case.
warm-hot intergalactic medium sculptor wall
Just by observing the tiny amount of deuterium left over from the Big Bang, we can determine that dark matter and dark energy must exist.
zeeman splitting
If light can't be bent by electric or magnetic fields (and it can't), then how do the Zeeman and Stark effects split atomic energy levels?
Two breathtaking pictures of a galaxy and a star taken by the Hubble telescope, highlighting the beauty and cosmic magnitude that fuels the Hubble tension.
There are two methods to measure the expansion rate of the Universe. The results do not agree with each other, and this is a big problem.
warp field stars
The concept of ‘relativistic mass’ has been around almost as long as relativity has. But is it a reasonable way to make sense of things?
A diagram of a galaxy with blue arrows suggesting the past hypothesis.
How do physicists solve a problem like entropy?
atom
Quantum uncertainty and wave-particle duality are big features of quantum physics. But without Pauli's rule, our Universe wouldn't exist.
anti-gravity mirror
If you look into a mirror, you'll notice that left-and-right are reversed, but up-and-down is preserved. The reason isn't what you think.
a silhouette of a person with a rainbow in the background.
You are an energy field — but not the “chakras” or “auras” kind.
quantum superposition
With a massive, charged nucleus orbited by tiny electrons, atoms are such simple objects. Miraculously, they make up everything we know.
a blurry photo of a city street at night.
Time gets a little strange as you approach the speed of light.
a star burst in the middle of the night sky.
We are about to learn a lot more about the most elusive of cosmic particles.
Magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor, cooled with liquid nitrogen.
So far, two papers have been retracted, and a third is under investigation. Accusations of plagiarism appear convincing.
pi day cover image
It's the best-known transcendental number of all-time, and March 14 (3/14 in many countries) is the perfect time to celebrate Pi (π) Day!
hypermassive neutron star
Somewhere out there in the Universe is the heaviest neutron star, and elsewhere lies the lightest black hole. Where's the line between them?
time crystal entangled electron spin
Even with quantum teleportation and the existence of entangled quantum states, faster-than-light communication still remains impossible.
Not even Einstein immediately knew the power of the equations he gave us.
planetary nebulae infrared spitzer
What kind of object will you form? What will its fate be? How long will a star live? Almost everything is determined by mass alone.
universe bulk volume brane dimension
Unless you confront your theory with what's actually out there in the Universe, you're playing in the sandbox, not engaging in science.
EHT event horizons
Since its observation discovery in the 1990s, dark energy has been one of science's biggest mysteries. Could black holes be the cause?
From the Big Bang to dark energy, knowledge of the cosmos has sped up in the past century — but big questions linger.
A red-orange background with atom-like scribbles
The answer to the age-old philosophical question of whether there is meaning in the Universe may ultimately rest upon the power of information.
John Templeton Foundation
The solution involves the infamous Navier-Stokes equations, which are so difficult, there is a $1-million prize for solving them.
The Universe isn't as "clumpy" as we think it should be.
einstein quantum
When you bring two fingers together, you can feel them "touch" each other. But are your atoms really touching, and if so, how?
a man playing a violin in front of a piano.
To Einstein, nature had to be rational. But quantum physics showed us that there was not always a way to make it so.
Cartwheel galaxy new star formation
Humanity's newest, most powerful space telescope is performing even better than predicted. The reason why is unprecedented.
The central equation of quantum mechanics, the Schrödinger equation, is different from the equations found in classical physics.
quantum sensors
It isn't just identical particles that can be entangled, but even those with fundamentally different properties interfere with each other.
Laser-guided lightning systems could someday offer much greater protection than lightning rods.