About a hundred years ago, in his theory of general relativity Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves, “ripples” in the fabric of space and time as a result of the universe’s violent and energetic processes, like a collision and merger of black holes or a collapse of supernova. Gravitational waves are difficult to […]
Archive | Physics
Colorful secrets of chemical elements with slow motion flames
If you are a “Game of Thrones” series fan like I am, upon looking at the picture of green flame you might think: wildfire. Although you don’t find green-colored fire often in real life, it is possible to make the fire green with a disinfectant or insecticide containing boric acid. So sorry fellow GoT fans, green […]
“Molecules” made of light may be possible, say physicists
A team including theoretical physicists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has taken a step toward building objects out of photons, and the findings hint that weightless particles of light can be joined into a sort of “molecule” with its own peculiar force. In a paper forthcoming in Physical Review Letters, the […]
Magnetic wormhole connecting two regions of space created by Spanish physicists
Physicists at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona have designed and created in the laboratory the first experimental wormhole that can connect two regions of space magnetically. The tunnel transfers the magnetic field from one point to the other while keeping it undetectable. The researchers used metamaterials and metasurfaces to build the tunnel, so that the […]
Physicists map conductivity change in transition from 3 to 2 dimensions
Scientists from the Moscow Institute Of Physics And Technology and Tulane University (New Orleans) have for the first time described the behavior of electrons in a previously unstudied analogue of graphene, two-dimensional niobium telluride, and, in the process, uncovered the nature of two-dimensionality effects on conducting properties. Their findings will help pave the way for […]
New paper shows how spacetime is built from quantum entanglement
A new paper to be published in Physical Review Letters has made a significant step toward unifying general relativity and quantum mechanics by explaining how spacetime emerges from quantum entanglement. The international collaboration of physicists and mathematicians who authored the paper hope it will prove to be a first step toward the long sought Theory […]
Spring-assisted exoskeleton beats evolution
It’s taken millions of years for evolution to perfect how we walk, but research published in the journal Nature shows that humans can get better efficiency – around 7 percent – using an unpowered exoskeleton to modify the structure of their ankles. To gain an advantage over nature, North Carolina State University and Carnegie Mellon […]
Image captures light as both a particle and a wave
Quantum mechanics tells us that light can behave simultaneously as a particle or a wave, but it’s only possible to see one of these attributes at any given moment. Even though a variety of experiments have successfully observed both behaviors of light, they have never been able to observe both at the same time. Now, […]
Dark matter could be the wild card in extinction events
Our planet’s long path around and through the Milky Way means that dark matter could be the ultimate wild card in our ability to predict asteroid strikes, and scientists are now speculating that dark matter could also be affecting the Earth’s core, potentially leading to major volcanic events. In a new paper in Monthly Notices […]
Table-top particle accelerator sets world record
Using a small, inches-long device, researchers have accelerated subatomic particles to the highest energies ever recorded from a compact particle accelerator. With further development, the Berkeley Lab researchers believe they can shrink traditional, miles-long accelerators to machines that can fit on a table. The researchers sped up the electrons inside a nine-centimeter (4 inch) long […]