The orbits of a trio of stars can be so chaotic that its impossible to precisely calculate the stars future trajectories. Thats the real science behind the name of the hit Netflix show, 3 Body Problem. Much of the sci-fi shows action hinges on a variety of other physics concepts. But in service of the plot, … Read more
The time is nigh for nuclear clocks. In a first, scientists have used a tabletop laser to bump an atomic nucleus into a higher energy state. Its a feat that sets scientists on a path toward creating the first nuclear clock, which would keep time based on the inner workings of atomic nuclei. The advance … Read more
For the first time in nearly a century, physicists have identified a brand new type of magnetic material. Crack open a physics textbook and you may read that scientists classify magnetic materials into two main types: ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. Ferromagnets are what most people think of when magnets come to mind. These materials possess a … Read more
Meet graphenes newest metallic cousin, goldene. For the first time, researchers have created a free-standing sheet of gold thats just one atom thick. The development, reported in the April 16 Nature Synthesis, could someday allow scientists to use less gold in electronics and chemical reactions, says materials physicist Lars Hultman of Linkping University in Sweden. … Read more
Neutrinos are known for funny business. Now scientists have set a new limit on a quantum trait responsible for the subatomic particles quirkiness: uncertainty. The lightweight particles morph from one variety of neutrino to another as they travel, a strange phenomenon called neutrino oscillation (SN: 10/6/15). That ability rests on quantum uncertainty, a sort of fuzziness intrinsic … Read more
The cosmos may have something in common with a doughnut. In addition to their fried, sugary goodness, doughnuts are known for their shape, or in mathematical terms, their topology. In a universe with an analogous, complex topology, you could travel across the cosmos and end up back where you started. Such a cosmos hasnt yet been … Read more
In the quest to build a quantum internet, scientists are putting their memories to the test. Quantum memories, that is. Quantum memories are devices that store fragile information in the realm of the very small. Theyre an essential component for scientists vision of quantum networks that could allow new types of communication, from ultra-secure messaging to … Read more
In real life, laws are broken all the time. Besides your everyday criminals, there are scammers and fraudsters, politicians and mobsters, corporations and nations that regard laws as suggestions rather than restrictions. Its not that way in physics. For centuries, physicists have been identifying laws of nature that are invariably unbreakable. Those laws govern matter, … Read more
Something strange is happening at Earths center. Decades of earthquake data show that Earths inner core has been rotating slower than its mantle and surface since around 2010, researchers report June 12 in Nature. The study appears to confirm a controversial finding from last year that the inner core may have reversed its rotation relative … Read more
Black holes cant be formed from pure light. Quantum physics would curb their creation under any foreseeable conditions, a new study suggests. Typically, matter is responsible for black holes. Theyre often formed when a stars core implodes at the end of its life. But matter isnt necessarily required to form a black hole. According to … Read more