91av - Physics / /build/images/ns-logo-scaled.ed2dc11a.png daily 1 /article/2503844-are-we-living-in-a-simulation-this-experiment-could-tell-us/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:00:13 +0000 The idea that we might be living in a simulated reality has worried us for centuries. Now physicists have found some tantalising clues – and devised an experiment that might reveal the truth 2503844-are-we-living-in-a-simulation-this-experiment-could-tell-us|2503844 /article/2507777-qubits-break-quantum-limit-to-encode-information-for-longer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 12 Dec 2025 08:00:32 +0000 Controlling qubits with quantum superpositions allows them to dramatically violate a fundamental limit and encode information for about five times longer during quantum computations 2507777-qubits-break-quantum-limit-to-encode-information-for-longer|2507777 /article/2502000-how-3-imaginary-physics-demons-tore-up-the-laws-of-nature/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:00:06 +0000 Three thought experiments involving “demons” have haunted physics for centuries. What should we make of them today?  2502000-how-3-imaginary-physics-demons-tore-up-the-laws-of-nature|2502000 /article/2501960-inside-the-wild-experiments-physicists-would-do-with-zero-limits/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:00:27 +0000 From a particle smasher encircling the moon to an “impossible” laser, five scientists reveal the experiments they would run in a world powered purely by imagination 2501960-inside-the-wild-experiments-physicists-would-do-with-zero-limits|2501960 /article/2505176-black-hole-entropy-hints-at-a-surprising-truth-about-our-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:00:29 +0000 Two clashing ideas about disorder inside black holes now point to the same strange conclusions, and it could reshape the foundations of how we think about space and time 2505176-black-hole-entropy-hints-at-a-surprising-truth-about-our-universe|2505176 /article/2506830-quantum-experiment-settles-a-century-old-row-between-einstein-and-bohr/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 05 Dec 2025 14:00:25 +0000 Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr had an ongoing rivalry about the true nature of quantum mechanics, and came up with a thought experiment that could settle the matter. Now, that experiment has finally been performed for real 2506830-quantum-experiment-settles-a-century-old-row-between-einstein-and-bohr|2506830 /article/2504149-a-new-understanding-of-causality-could-fix-quantum-theorys-fatal-flaw/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 24 Nov 2025 16:00:39 +0000 Quantum theory fails to explain how the reality we experience emerges from the world of particles. A new take on quantum cause and effect could bridge the gap 2504149-a-new-understanding-of-causality-could-fix-quantum-theorys-fatal-flaw|2504149 /article/2505823-why-quantum-mechanics-says-the-past-isnt-real/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 02 Dec 2025 18:00:10 +0000 The famous double-slit experiment brings into question the very nature of matter. Its cousin, the quantum eraser experiment, makes us question the very existence of time – and how much we can manipulate it 2505823-why-quantum-mechanics-says-the-past-isnt-real|2505823 /article/2505669-physicists-have-worked-out-a-universal-law-for-how-objects-shatter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 27 Nov 2025 18:00:36 +0000 Whether it is a cube of sugar or a chunk of a mineral, a mathematical analysis can identify how many fragments of each size any brittle object will break into 2505669-physicists-have-worked-out-a-universal-law-for-how-objects-shatter|2505669 /article/2505811-we-might-have-just-seen-the-first-hints-of-dark-matter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 25 Nov 2025 23:00:49 +0000 Unexplained gamma ray radiation coming from the edge of the Milky Way galaxy could be produced by self-annihilating dark matter particles – but the idea requires further investigation 2505811-we-might-have-just-seen-the-first-hints-of-dark-matter|2505811 /article/2505430-we-may-need-a-fourth-law-of-thermodynamics-for-living-systems/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 25 Nov 2025 19:11:31 +0000 The laws of thermodynamics don't accurately account for the complex processes in living cells – do we need a new one to accurately measure the ways living systems are out of equilibrium? 2505430-we-may-need-a-fourth-law-of-thermodynamics-for-living-systems|2505430 /article/mg26835700-600-brian-eno-and-beatie-wolfe-discuss-their-new-spacebound-album-liminal/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Brian Eno and Beatie Wolfe's album Liminal is being transmitted into space by Nobel laureate Robert Wilson. They give Chelsea Whyte the lowdown mg26835700-600-brian-eno-and-beatie-wolfe-discuss-their-new-spacebound-album-liminal|2504481 /article/2504960-physics-of-light-and-magnetism-rewritten-after-almost-two-centuries/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:00:25 +0000 An experiment 180 years ago first demonstrated a connection between light and electromagnetism – but the link is deeper than we thought 2504960-physics-of-light-and-magnetism-rewritten-after-almost-two-centuries|2504960 /article/mg26835700-300-an-ambitious-look-at-quantum-physics-is-fun-but-overdoes-it-a-little/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Attempts to describe quantum physics are rarely enjoyable, but Paul Davies' zeal in Quantum 2.0 sometimes steers too close to hype, finds Karmela Padavic-Callaghan mg26835700-300-an-ambitious-look-at-quantum-physics-is-fun-but-overdoes-it-a-little|2504478 /article/2504419-the-forgotten-women-of-quantum-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 14 Nov 2025 10:00:06 +0000 Physics has a reputation for being dominated by men, especially a century ago, as quantum physics was just being invented – but there have been so many women who helped shaped the field since its inception 2504419-the-forgotten-women-of-quantum-physics|2504419 /video/2503248-quantum-numbers-are-the-true-essence-of-reality-says-vlatko-vedral/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:04:53 +0000 No particles, no space, no time.  What, then, is reality made of? asks quantum physicist Vlatko Vedral 2503248-quantum-numbers-are-the-true-essence-of-reality-says-vlatko-vedral|2503248 /article/2501889-the-fascinating-story-of-the-ultimate-cosmic-law/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 04 Nov 2025 18:00:39 +0000 How do we know the speed of light – and why does it have a speed limit at all? Leah Crane explores the history of one of the most important numbers in the universe 2501889-the-fascinating-story-of-the-ultimate-cosmic-law|2501889 /article/2500081-no-space-no-time-no-particles-a-radical-vision-of-quantum-reality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 27 Oct 2025 16:00:41 +0000 If we admit that quantum numbers are the true essence of reality – not particles, space or time – then a surprising and beautiful new vision of reality opens up to us 2500081-no-space-no-time-no-particles-a-radical-vision-of-quantum-reality|2500081 /article/2502414-quantum-computers-reveal-that-the-wave-function-is-a-real-thing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:00:37 +0000 The uncertainty inherent to quantum mechanics has long left physicists wondering whether the observations we make on the quantum level reflect reality - a new test suggests they do 2502414-quantum-computers-reveal-that-the-wave-function-is-a-real-thing|2502414 /article/2502130-the-us-is-unlikely-to-test-nuclear-weapons-despite-what-trump-says/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 30 Oct 2025 16:10:12 +0000 President Donald Trump appears to have ordered a return to nuclear testing after decades of uneasy but effective treaties banning the practice – but will it actually happen? 2502130-the-us-is-unlikely-to-test-nuclear-weapons-despite-what-trump-says|2502130 /article/2501892-quantum-inspired-algorithm-could-help-reveal-hidden-cosmic-objects/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 28 Oct 2025 20:46:45 +0000 Combining a quantum-inspired algorithm and quantum information processing technologies could enable researchers to measure masses of cosmic objects that bend light almost imperceptibly 2501892-quantum-inspired-algorithm-could-help-reveal-hidden-cosmic-objects|2501892 /article/2500688-ultracold-atoms-could-test-relativity-in-the-quantum-realm/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 21 Oct 2025 17:00:46 +0100 Confining and rotating extremely cold atoms or molecules within atomic “Ferris wheels” made from laser light could test relativity’s predictions on the quantum scale 2500688-ultracold-atoms-could-test-relativity-in-the-quantum-realm|2500688 /article/2500538-we-can-use-ordinary-sugar-in-the-search-for-dark-matter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 17 Oct 2025 16:59:07 +0100 Physicists have tried so many different ways to find dark matter, but none has been successful. Now an unexpected contender has entered the arena - ordinary table sugar. 2500538-we-can-use-ordinary-sugar-in-the-search-for-dark-matter|2500538 /article/2498236-the-30-year-fight-over-how-many-numbers-we-need-to-describe-reality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:00:10 +0100 In 1992, three physicists began an argument about how many numbers we need to fully describe the universe. Their surprisingly long-running quarrel takes us to the heart of what’s truly real 2498236-the-30-year-fight-over-how-many-numbers-we-need-to-describe-reality|2498236 /article/2499424-physicists-are-uncovering-when-natures-strongest-force-falters/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 10 Oct 2025 17:50:54 +0100 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 is reached 2499424-physicists-are-uncovering-when-natures-strongest-force-falters|2499424 /article/2499486-swirly-lasers-can-control-an-ungovernable-cousin-of-magnetism/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 09 Oct 2025 20:00:34 +0100 Short pulses of light that impart rotation on a material's atoms can be used to switch a property called ferroaxiality, which could let us build very stable and efficient memory devices 2499486-swirly-lasers-can-control-an-ungovernable-cousin-of-magnetism|2499486 /article/2499035-electrons-inside-graphene-have-been-pushed-to-supersonic-speeds/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:18:35 +0100 Making electrons flow like a liquid is difficult, but inside graphene researchers forced them to move so fast that they created dramatic shockwaves 2499035-electrons-inside-graphene-have-been-pushed-to-supersonic-speeds|2499035 /article/2499053-nobel-prize-for-physics-goes-to-trio-behind-quantum-computing-chips/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 07 Oct 2025 11:58:15 +0100 The 2025 Nobel prize in physics has gone to John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis, whose work has led to the development of today's quantum computers 2499053-nobel-prize-for-physics-goes-to-trio-behind-quantum-computing-chips|2499053 /article/2498087-we-may-finally-know-what-causes-will-o-the-wisps/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 29 Sep 2025 21:00:55 +0100 Mysterious flashes of light seen in swamps and bogs could be caused by burning methane or other gases, ignited by sparks that fly between bubbles in water 2498087-we-may-finally-know-what-causes-will-o-the-wisps|2498087 /article/2497886-ultracold-clocks-could-reveal-how-quantum-physics-alters-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:00:34 +0100 The world’s best clocks may be sensitive to an odd mix of quantum and relativistic effects that would stretch time and test the boundaries of physics 2497886-ultracold-clocks-could-reveal-how-quantum-physics-alters-time|2497886 /article/2497100-hints-of-exotic-dark-matter-particles-could-be-hiding-in-lhc-data/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 23 Sep 2025 17:00:17 +0100 Particles similar to axions, the leading candidate for dark matter that has long eluded detection, may have already been created in particle colliders – and remained hidden in the data 2497100-hints-of-exotic-dark-matter-particles-could-be-hiding-in-lhc-data|2497100 /article/2497081-unforgeable-quantum-money-can-be-stored-in-an-ultracold-debit-card/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 19 Sep 2025 20:00:55 +0100 Using the quantum states of particles of light as currency could make for unforgeable transactions, and a new experiment has added a way to save some of that quantum money for future use, too 2497081-unforgeable-quantum-money-can-be-stored-in-an-ultracold-debit-card|2497081 /article/2496211-making-atoms-self-magnify-reveals-their-quantum-wave-functions/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 16 Sep 2025 13:00:42 +0100 Trapping ultracold atoms with laser light let researchers magnify and then image the wave functions of atoms that were previously too close together to look like anything but a blob 2496211-making-atoms-self-magnify-reveals-their-quantum-wave-functions|2496211 /article/2493944-what-its-like-to-run-the-worlds-best-dark-matter-detector/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 15 Sep 2025 17:00:42 +0100 Chamkaur Ghag is on a mission to find the 85 per cent of the universe’s matter that we haven’t yet identified. He details his hopes for the major scientific experiment – and what the future could hold 2493944-what-its-like-to-run-the-worlds-best-dark-matter-detector|2493944 /article/2494508-weve-glimpsed-the-secret-quantum-landscape-inside-all-matter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:00:16 +0100 A strange kind of geometry governs how particles move inside matter. Now, for the first time, physicists have uncovered its full shape – and it could transform how we design materials 2494508-weve-glimpsed-the-secret-quantum-landscape-inside-all-matter|2494508 /article/2495951-why-simple-tasks-like-charging-your-phone-rely-on-quantum-measurements/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 11 Sep 2025 15:00:07 +0100 A hidden world of quantum metrologists ensure that everyday devices perform safely and correctly, but their work is never done 2495951-why-simple-tasks-like-charging-your-phone-rely-on-quantum-measurements|2495951 /article/mg26735602-700-even-in-our-digital-world-materials-still-matter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Next to the flashy realm of AI, materials may seem quaint. But new quantum research could yield revolutionary breakthroughs, with the power to transform our world mg26735602-700-even-in-our-digital-world-materials-still-matter|2495513 /article/2494574-we-could-spot-a-new-type-of-black-hole-thanks-to-a-mirror-wobbling-ai/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 04 Sep 2025 20:00:52 +0100 The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) uses lasers and mirrors to look for black holes across the universe, and it turns out a Google DeepMind AI could make it even more sensitive 2494574-we-could-spot-a-new-type-of-black-hole-thanks-to-a-mirror-wobbling-ai|2494574 /article/mg26735592-500-should-it-be-space-time-or-spacetime-and-why-does-it-matter-anyway/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Seeking endorsements for her new book, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein finds herself staring at fundamental questions of space, time – and grammar mg26735592-500-should-it-be-space-time-or-spacetime-and-why-does-it-matter-anyway|2494486 /article/2493968-hottest-engine-in-the-world-reveals-weirdness-of-microscopic-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 29 Aug 2025 14:10:36 +0100 A tiny engine comprised of a glass bead zapped with electric fields behaves as if it is operating 2000 times hotter than the sun 2493968-hottest-engine-in-the-world-reveals-weirdness-of-microscopic-physics|2493968 /article/2493372-nuclear-fusion-gets-a-boost-from-a-controversial-debunked-experiment/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 20 Aug 2025 17:00:42 +0100 A 1989 experiment offered the promise of nuclear fusion without the need for high temperatures, but this "cold fusion" was quickly debunked. Now, some of the techniques involved have been resurrected in a new experiment that could actually improve efforts to achieve practical fusion power 2493372-nuclear-fusion-gets-a-boost-from-a-controversial-debunked-experiment|2493372 /article/2491566-physicist-frank-wilczeks-unique-insights-on-the-nature-of-reality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 20 Aug 2025 17:00:55 +0100 Frank Wilczek has one of the most brilliant and original minds in theoretical physics, having come up with the idea of time crystals among much else. Where is his curiosity taking him now? 2491566-physicist-frank-wilczeks-unique-insights-on-the-nature-of-reality|2491566 /article/2493104-flower-like-origami-patterns-could-inspire-folding-spacecraft/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 20 Aug 2025 01:01:05 +0100 Engineers have developed a class of origami structures that unfold in one smooth motion to create flower-like shapes, which could have applications in space 2493104-flower-like-origami-patterns-could-inspire-folding-spacecraft|2493104 /article/2492734-quantum-device-detects-all-units-of-electricity-at-once/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 18 Aug 2025 14:00:14 +0100 Defining the fundamental units of electricity used to require two finicky quantum devices – but now scientists have found an easier way to standardise our electrical measurements 2492734-quantum-device-detects-all-units-of-electricity-at-once|2492734 /article/2492767-jupiters-moon-ganymede-could-be-a-giant-dark-matter-detector/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 18 Aug 2025 09:00:34 +0100 Large pieces of dark matter hitting Jupiter’s largest moon would form distinctive craters in its icy surface, and upcoming space missions might be able to spot them 2492767-jupiters-moon-ganymede-could-be-a-giant-dark-matter-detector|2492767 /article/2492571-we-have-detected-a-single-electron-with-unprecedented-speed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 15 Aug 2025 13:00:58 +0100 An extremely precise detection method for single electrons, which pins down the particles with a resolution of trillionths of a second, may provide a valuable building block for future quantum technologies 2492571-we-have-detected-a-single-electron-with-unprecedented-speed|2492571 /article/mg26735562-200-this-book-could-convince-you-to-become-an-engineer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 13 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0100 From DNA sequencing to rainbows, the world of microfluidics is well-served by Albert Folch's book How the World Flows, says Karmela Padavic-Callaghan mg26735562-200-this-book-could-convince-you-to-become-an-engineer|2492070 /article/2492538-extremely-cold-atoms-defy-entropy-and-refuse-to-heat-up/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:00:32 +0100 Adding energy to a group of ultracold atoms should make them fly away from each other with many different energies, but quantum effects can counteract this 2492538-extremely-cold-atoms-defy-entropy-and-refuse-to-heat-up|2492538 /article/2492619-why-no-one-can-agree-on-what-quantum-physics-really-means/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 14 Aug 2025 16:03:54 +0100 For a century, quantum theory has passed every experimental test, but physicists can’t agree on how to use it to paint a picture of our reality – or even whether that is possible 2492619-why-no-one-can-agree-on-what-quantum-physics-really-means|2492619 /article/2491843-oddly-viscous-stars-could-be-impersonating-black-holes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 08 Aug 2025 23:00:33 +0100 Calculations suggest stars that are very viscous could reflect gravitational waves and produce signals very similar to those produced by black holes 2491843-oddly-viscous-stars-could-be-impersonating-black-holes|2491843 /article/2488077-weve-discovered-a-door-to-a-hidden-part-of-reality-whats-inside/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 21 Jul 2025 17:00:07 +0100 Physicists would dearly love to find new particles, but there's no sign of them in colliders like the LHC. Now we have found a new way of accessing a tiny slice of reality where they might be hiding 2488077-weve-discovered-a-door-to-a-hidden-part-of-reality-whats-inside|2488077 /article/2491580-molecules-tiny-quantum-jiggle-imaged-in-unprecedented-detail/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 07 Aug 2025 20:00:50 +0100 By measuring an 11-atom molecule with a stunningly powerful X-ray laser, researchers have seen the way its atoms make slight, synchronised movements, even when they should be standing still 2491580-molecules-tiny-quantum-jiggle-imaged-in-unprecedented-detail|2491580 /article/mg26735550-100-what-happens-to-lights-energy-when-it-redshifts-its-complicated/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0100 When it comes to cosmology, answering one question only leads to more. Just take light. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein dives into a reader's question mg26735550-100-what-happens-to-lights-energy-when-it-redshifts-its-complicated|2490884 /article/2488701-is-gravity-a-new-type-of-force-that-arises-from-cosmic-entropy/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 29 Jul 2025 17:00:27 +0100 Decades ago, a renegade physicist suggested that gravity isn't so much a force as just a byproduct of the universe's tendency to get more disordered. Now this idea might finally be testable 2488701-is-gravity-a-new-type-of-force-that-arises-from-cosmic-entropy|2488701 /article/2488958-could-we-get-quantum-spookiness-even-without-entanglement/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 01 Aug 2025 20:00:12 +0100 Particles of light travelling through a maze of devices seem to have passed a famous test for entanglement – without being entangled at all 2488958-could-we-get-quantum-spookiness-even-without-entanglement|2488958 /article/2490038-we-may-be-able-to-share-quantum-entanglement-nearly-infinitely/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:00:56 +0100 A pair of quantum experimenters that share two entangled particles may be able to pass some of that entanglement to other pairs – and keep sharing it again and again 2490038-we-may-be-able-to-share-quantum-entanglement-nearly-infinitely|2490038 /article/2489578-gold-can-be-heated-to-14-times-its-melting-point-without-melting/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:00:18 +0100 With fast heating, sheets of gold can shoot past the theoretical maximum temperature a solid can have before it melts – raising questions about what the true limits are 2489578-gold-can-be-heated-to-14-times-its-melting-point-without-melting|2489578 /article/2487013-weve-discovered-a-new-kind-of-magnetism-what-can-we-do-with-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 15 Jul 2025 17:00:14 +0100 Researchers have found the first new type of magnet in nearly a century. Now, these strange "altermagnets" could help us build an entirely new type of computer 2487013-weve-discovered-a-new-kind-of-magnetism-what-can-we-do-with-it|2487013 /article/2488654-laws-of-quantum-physics-may-rule-out-a-universe-that-came-before-ours/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 18 Jul 2025 17:26:34 +0100 Instead of the big bang, some physicists have suggested that our universe may have come from a big bounce following another universe contracting – but quantum theory could rule this out 2488654-laws-of-quantum-physics-may-rule-out-a-universe-that-came-before-ours|2488654 /video/2487650-storm-chasing-scientists-hunt-for-the-worlds-most-extreme-hail/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 09 Jul 2025 20:00:24 +0100 As dozens of meteorologists undertake the largest ever study of extreme hail, 91av environment reporter James Dinneen rides into the storm inside a fortified truck called the Hail Hunter 2487650-storm-chasing-scientists-hunt-for-the-worlds-most-extreme-hail|2487650 /article/2486355-where-does-time-actually-come-from/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 01 Jul 2025 19:00:47 +0100 The arrow of time can teach us more about how the universe began – and how it will end, says quantum columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan 2486355-where-does-time-actually-come-from|2486355 /article/2484276-solving-the-250-year-old-puzzle-of-how-static-electricity-works/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 01 Jul 2025 17:00:35 +0100 You may think you know static electricity, but its true nature has long eluded scientists. We’ve now made a huge leap towards finally figuring it out 2484276-solving-the-250-year-old-puzzle-of-how-static-electricity-works|2484276 /article/2483232-the-deep-lessons-quasiparticles-teach-us-about-the-nature-of-reality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:00:51 +0100 We have discovered legions of strange particles that seem to only have a ghostly existence inside materials. Even so, they are the basis of much modern technology - so are they actually real? 2483232-the-deep-lessons-quasiparticles-teach-us-about-the-nature-of-reality|2483232 /article/2483988-how-quantum-superposition-forces-us-to-confront-what-is-truly-real/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:00:58 +0100 What are quantum particles doing before we measure them? Getting to grips with this century-old debate takes us to the heart of whether there is an objective reality 2483988-how-quantum-superposition-forces-us-to-confront-what-is-truly-real|2483988 /article/2484176-at-last-we-are-discovering-what-quantum-computers-will-be-useful-for/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:00:10 +0100 Quantum computers have been hyped as machines that can solve almost any problem. Yet it is becoming clearer that their near-term utility will be narrower 2484176-at-last-we-are-discovering-what-quantum-computers-will-be-useful-for|2484176 /article/2484165-how-metaphysics-probes-hidden-assumptions-to-make-sense-of-reality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:00:20 +0100 All of us hold metaphysical beliefs, whether we realise it or not. Learning to question them is spurring progress on some of the hardest questions in physics 2484165-how-metaphysics-probes-hidden-assumptions-to-make-sense-of-reality|2484165 /article/2485126-could-israels-bombing-trigger-a-nuclear-accident-in-iran/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:21:15 +0100 Attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities have already triggered at least one internal radiation leak, but should we be concerned that Israeli bombing could cause a larger nuclear accident? 2485126-could-israels-bombing-trigger-a-nuclear-accident-in-iran|2485126 /article/2484745-morse-code-messages-can-be-trapped-in-bubbles-within-blocks-of-ice/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 18 Jun 2025 17:00:47 +0100 Assigning certain sizes, shapes and positions of bubbles to characters within Morse and binary codes means messages could be stored in ice 2484745-morse-code-messages-can-be-trapped-in-bubbles-within-blocks-of-ice|2484745 /article/2484485-searching-for-the-past-and-future-of-quantum-physics-on-a-tiny-island/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 17 Jun 2025 15:57:25 +0100 According to scientific legend, quantum mechanics was born on the island of Helgoland in 1925. A hundred years later, physicists are still debating the true nature of this strange theory - and recently returned to the island to discuss its future 2484485-searching-for-the-past-and-future-of-quantum-physics-on-a-tiny-island|2484485 /article/2482841-the-radical-idea-that-space-time-remembers-could-upend-cosmology/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 16 Jun 2025 17:00:54 +0100 There are new hints that the fabric of space-time may be made of "memory cells" that record the whole history of the universe. If true, it could explain the nature of dark matter and much more 2482841-the-radical-idea-that-space-time-remembers-could-upend-cosmology|2482841 /article/mg26635470-700-fabulous-time-travel-novel-is-part-thriller-and-part-romance/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:00:00 +0100 In Kaliane Bradley's The Ministry of Time, a young woman must help a naval commander snatched from death in 1847 adapt to the 21st century. Time travel thriller meets romance in this excellent novel mg26635470-700-fabulous-time-travel-novel-is-part-thriller-and-part-romance|2483479 /article/2484009-giant-atoms-trapped-for-record-time-at-room-temperature/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 13 Jun 2025 20:00:08 +0100 Putting unusually large atoms in a box with cold copper sides helped researchers control them for an unprecedented 50 minutes at room-temperature, an improvement necessary for building more powerful quantum computers and simulators 2484009-giant-atoms-trapped-for-record-time-at-room-temperature|2484009 /article/2484139-microwaves-seem-to-experience-imaginary-time-and-now-we-know-how/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 13 Jun 2025 18:00:50 +0100 Almost a decade ago, researchers calculated that microwaves can seemingly spend an imaginary amount of time within a material – now an experiment reveals how the phenomenon is perfectly real 2484139-microwaves-seem-to-experience-imaginary-time-and-now-we-know-how|2484139 /article/2483798-light-has-been-made-into-a-fluid-that-simulates-space-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 12 Jun 2025 16:00:29 +0100 By using light to emulate the structure of space-time, researchers can better understand black holes – and the exotic objects that mimic them 2483798-light-has-been-made-into-a-fluid-that-simulates-space-time|2483798 /article/mg26635470-500-physicist-frank-closes-new-book-is-a-welcome-rework-of-the-atomic-age/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:00:00 +0100 The story of the birth and growth of nuclear science is rebalanced in Destroyer of Worlds, which gives due prominence to the role of women mg26635470-500-physicist-frank-closes-new-book-is-a-welcome-rework-of-the-atomic-age|2483477 /article/2484130-why-john-stewart-bell-has-been-haunting-quantum-mechanics-for-decades/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 12 Jun 2025 20:33:30 +0100 The “Bell test” was devised in the 1960s to uncover what’s going on in the quantum world, but it continues to be relevant today, says Karmela Padavic-Callaghan 2484130-why-john-stewart-bell-has-been-haunting-quantum-mechanics-for-decades|2484130 /article/2483169-could-we-build-space-time-computers-that-run-on-gravity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 06 Jun 2025 17:00:04 +0100 New mathematical work provides a way to identify when information has been changed by manipulating space-time – and it may form a foundation for future space-time computers 2483169-could-we-build-space-time-computers-that-run-on-gravity|2483169 /article/mg26635460-200-ambitious-book-on-quantum-physics-still-fails-to-be-accessible/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 04 Jun 2025 19:00:00 +0100 A new book on quantum physics is pleasingly full of cutting-edge topics. Yet it isn't the accessible work it promised to be mg26635460-200-ambitious-book-on-quantum-physics-still-fails-to-be-accessible|2482478 /article/2480634-read-an-extract-from-time-travel-novel-the-ministry-of-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 30 May 2025 10:00:20 +0100 In this short extract from Kaliane Bradley's sci-fi novel, her protagonist makes a startling discovery about the nature of time 2480634-read-an-extract-from-time-travel-novel-the-ministry-of-time|2480634 /article/2481354-do-we-have-free-will-quantum-experiments-may-soon-reveal-the-answer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 28 May 2025 16:30:30 +0100 Whether or not we have partial free will could soon be resolved by experiments in quantum physics, with potential consequences for everything from religion to quantum computers 2481354-do-we-have-free-will-quantum-experiments-may-soon-reveal-the-answer|2481354 /article/2481629-a-photon-caught-in-two-places-at-once-could-destroy-the-multiverse/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 26 May 2025 10:00:22 +0100 The idea of a multiverse of universes is derived from a particular interpretation of quantum mechanics, but now a new twist on a classic experiment says it is time to put the idea to bed 2481629-a-photon-caught-in-two-places-at-once-could-destroy-the-multiverse|2481629 /video/2480514-liquid-physics-inside-the-lab-making-black-hole-analogues-on-earth/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 19 May 2025 09:00:40 +0100 Inside Silke Weinfurtner's black hole laboratory, a giant water tank is helping physicists better understand the complexity of the universe 2480514-liquid-physics-inside-the-lab-making-black-hole-analogues-on-earth|2480514 /article/mg26635432-900-the-bold-attempt-to-solve-the-toughest-mystery-at-the-heart-of-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 12 May 2025 17:00:00 +0100 Finding out whether gravity – and therefore space-time itself – is quantum in nature has long been thought impossible. But innovative new ideas might be about to help answer this crucial question mg26635432-900-the-bold-attempt-to-solve-the-toughest-mystery-at-the-heart-of-physics|2479783 /article/2480321-physicists-reveal-the-secret-to-chopping-onions-without-crying/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 15 May 2025 15:00:50 +0100 Slicing an onion releases tear-inducing chemicals into the air, but the sharpness of the knife and the speed of the cut can affect how these droplets are expelled 2480321-physicists-reveal-the-secret-to-chopping-onions-without-crying|2480321 /article/mg26635430-100-how-dark-energy-findings-may-inspire-a-new-generation-of-physics-nerds/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 14 May 2025 19:00:00 +0100 The discovery of the cosmic acceleration problem truly inspired me as a teenage physics nerd. Recent, related revelations about dark energy will hopefully capture the interest of today’s young science geeks, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein mg26635430-100-how-dark-energy-findings-may-inspire-a-new-generation-of-physics-nerds|2479638 /article/2479739-radical-photon-idea-could-rewrite-standard-model-of-particle-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 12 May 2025 21:00:12 +0100 Experiments with hydrogen atoms could soon reveal whether particles that were long thought to be forbidden by physics actually do exist 2479739-radical-photon-idea-could-rewrite-standard-model-of-particle-physics|2479739 /article/2478479-why-physicists-keep-trying-to-get-rid-of-space-time-entirely/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 06 May 2025 19:00:15 +0100 Physicists are trying to ditch the concept of space-time – the supposed fabric of physical reality. Quantum columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan explains why 2478479-why-physicists-keep-trying-to-get-rid-of-space-time-entirely|2478479 /article/2479093-nothing-is-stronger-than-quantum-connections-and-now-we-know-why/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 06 May 2025 23:00:15 +0100 The mathematics of graphs has helped reveal a principle that limits the strength of quantum correlations – and explains why physicists have never measured any stronger connections in some post-quantum realm 2479093-nothing-is-stronger-than-quantum-connections-and-now-we-know-why|2479093 /article/mg26635410-700-the-impossible-particle-hinting-at-the-universes-biggest-secrets/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 28 Apr 2025 17:00:00 +0100 Neutrinos have always been hard to explain – and now the detection of one so energetic it shouldn't exist may help illuminate the strangest corners of the cosmos mg26635410-700-the-impossible-particle-hinting-at-the-universes-biggest-secrets|2478036 /article/2477695-dark-photon-theory-of-light-aims-to-tear-up-a-century-of-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 29 Apr 2025 16:27:03 +0100 One of the most famous findings in physics could be wrong – the double-slit experiment was long thought to confirm that light can be a wave, but its results can be fully explained using only quantum particles 2477695-dark-photon-theory-of-light-aims-to-tear-up-a-century-of-physics|2477695 /article/2477867-first-ever-black-hole-bomb-created-in-the-lab/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 25 Apr 2025 11:00:31 +0100 A black hole bomb – an idea first proposed in 1969 – has now been realised in the lab as a toy model made from a rotating cylinder and magnetic coils. Studying the bomb could help us better understand real black holes. 2477867-first-ever-black-hole-bomb-created-in-the-lab|2477867 /article/mg26635400-300-photography-contest-spotlights-the-beauty-of-science-in-vivid-detail/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0100 A collection of images from Imperial College London's photography competition uncovers the visual splendor of scientific discovery mg26635400-300-photography-contest-spotlights-the-beauty-of-science-in-vivid-detail|2477130 /article/2477664-ultra-secure-quantum-data-sent-over-existing-internet-cables/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 23 Apr 2025 17:00:48 +0100 Two commercial telecommunications facilities have been connected by a secure quantum network that used existing fibre optic cables at room temperature – a key step towards a feasible quantum internet 2477664-ultra-secure-quantum-data-sent-over-existing-internet-cables|2477664 /article/2477378-lhc-breaks-the-record-for-heaviest-antimatter-nucleus-ever-seen/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:00:59 +0100 Researchers at the Large Hadron Collider found evidence of an unprecedentedly heavy and exotic form of antimatter in the aftermath of a collision between extremely fast lead ions 2477378-lhc-breaks-the-record-for-heaviest-antimatter-nucleus-ever-seen|2477378 /article/2476049-could-the-ancient-greeks-have-invented-quantum-theory/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 16 Apr 2025 15:00:07 +0100 There were hints that the world may be quantum long before the development of quantum mechanics in 1925 – could we have come up with this revolutionary theory hundreds or even thousands of years earlier? 2476049-could-the-ancient-greeks-have-invented-quantum-theory|2476049 /article/mg26635393-000-carlo-rovelli-on-what-we-get-wrong-about-the-origins-of-quantum-theory/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:00:00 +0100 Conventional accounts of the birth of quantum theory often overlook the pivotal role of one of its luminaries – and this has led to a persistent misunderstanding of what it really means, argues physicist Carlo Rovelli mg26635393-000-carlo-rovelli-on-what-we-get-wrong-about-the-origins-of-quantum-theory|2476370 /article/mg26635393-100-what-exactly-would-a-full-scale-quantum-computer-be-useful-for/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 16 Apr 2025 15:00:00 +0100 As quantum computers mature, they will be transformational. But there are good reasons why we don’t yet know exactly which problems they will excel at – and that makes them all the more exciting mg26635393-100-what-exactly-would-a-full-scale-quantum-computer-be-useful-for|2476371 /article/mg26635393-200-what-does-quantum-theory-really-tell-us-about-the-nature-of-reality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:00:00 +0100 For 100 years, quantum theory has painted the subatomic world as strange beyond words. But bold new interpretations and experiments may help us to finally grasp its true meaning mg26635393-200-what-does-quantum-theory-really-tell-us-about-the-nature-of-reality|2476372 /article/2476373-a-timeline-of-the-most-important-events-in-quantum-mechanics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:00:00 +0100 Explore the key moments in the history of quantum theory, from the early ideas of Albert Einstein and Werner Heisenberg to the discovery of phenomena like superposition and entanglement – and today’s quantum computers 2476373-a-timeline-of-the-most-important-events-in-quantum-mechanics|2476373 /article/2476051-where-exactly-does-the-quantum-world-end-and-concrete-reality-begin/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 16 Apr 2025 15:00:12 +0100 Quantum effects like superposition and entanglement have long been seen in single particles, but physicists are on a quest to find out just how big an object can be before it loses its quantumness 2476051-where-exactly-does-the-quantum-world-end-and-concrete-reality-begin|2476051