New Scientist - Physics https://www.newscientist.com/ https://www.newscientist.com/build/images/ns-logo-scaled.ed2dc11a.png https://www.newscientist.com daily 1 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034670-700-the-wonder-particle-how-axions-could-solve-more-than-just-dark-matter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 29 Nov 2023 16:00:00 +0000 Physicists are coming to realise that hypothetical particles called axions could explain not only dark matter, but dark energy too, and more besides. Now there is fresh impetus to detect them mg26034670-700-the-wonder-particle-how-axions-could-solve-more-than-just-dark-matter|2404889 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404565-physicists-have-worked-out-how-to-pour-water-as-quietly-as-possible/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:00:08 +0000 The sound of pouring water into a cup can be tamped down by changing the height of the pour or the diameter of the spout, but physicists have found that changing just one of these never makes it fully silent 2404565-physicists-have-worked-out-how-to-pour-water-as-quietly-as-possible|2404565 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405140-physicists-find-ultimate-limit-for-how-accurate-clocks-can-be/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:48:30 +0000 A fundamental trade-off between the resolution of a clock and its accuracy could have important implications for quantum computers, which must measure short timescales accurately 2405140-physicists-find-ultimate-limit-for-how-accurate-clocks-can-be|2405140 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2404603-a-mysterious-incredibly-energetic-cosmic-ray-has-smashed-into-earth/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 23 Nov 2023 19:00:26 +0000 A cosmic ray dubbed Amaterasu is the second most powerful one we have ever seen, beaten only by the "Oh-My-God particle". Both have baffled astronomers and defy explanation 2404603-a-mysterious-incredibly-energetic-cosmic-ray-has-smashed-into-earth|2404603 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403363-lasers-fired-at-crystals-could-uncover-quantum-nature-of-the-vacuum/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 17 Nov 2023 19:00:45 +0000 Ultra-short laser pulses may allow us to measure entanglement in a way that answers questions about the quantum nature of the vacuum 2403363-lasers-fired-at-crystals-could-uncover-quantum-nature-of-the-vacuum|2403363 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402943-tiny-lasers-can-be-made-from-soap-bubbles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 16 Nov 2023 12:00:48 +0000 Shining light on bubbles made from soapy water mixed with a fluorescent dye turns them into tiny lasers that can work as pressure sensors 2402943-tiny-lasers-can-be-made-from-soap-bubbles|2402943 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2402740-ultracold-atoms-in-space-will-let-us-stress-test-einsteins-relativity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 15 Nov 2023 16:00:47 +0000 Potassium and rubidium atoms aboard the International Space Station have been cooled almost to absolute zero to put a fundamental principle of Einstein’s general theory of relativity to the ultimate test 2402740-ultracold-atoms-in-space-will-let-us-stress-test-einsteins-relativity|2402740 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034643-200-our-sketchy-understanding-of-the-big-bang-is-ripe-for-reimagining/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 08 Nov 2023 18:00:00 +0000 Cosmologists have come to see the early universe as a whole series of transformations, or phase transitions, opening the door to intriguing possibilities for what really happened during the big bang mg26034643-200-our-sketchy-understanding-of-the-big-bang-is-ripe-for-reimagining|2401743 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034640-300-a-second-big-bang-the-radical-idea-rewriting-dark-matters-origins/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 08 Nov 2023 15:00:00 +0000 The enduring mystery of dark matter has led some physicists to propose that it was forged in a distinct moment of cosmic creation, potentially transforming our view of the early universe mg26034640-300-a-second-big-bang-the-radical-idea-rewriting-dark-matters-origins|2401121 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399777-first-practical-use-for-nuclear-fusion-could-help-cancer-treatment/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 10 Nov 2023 14:00:11 +0000 Fusion reactors could be used to produce radioactive isotopes for hospitals way before they become useful power generators 2399777-first-practical-use-for-nuclear-fusion-could-help-cancer-treatment|2399777 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400473-why-the-quantum-universe-is-weirder-than-you-think/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 10 Nov 2023 07:00:21 +0000 The quantum realm is full of strange effects, but there’s a reason why everything looks normal from our point of view, writes physicist Sebastian Deffner 2400473-why-the-quantum-universe-is-weirder-than-you-think|2400473 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401492-physicists-have-invented-a-new-way-to-shake-a-martini/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 09 Nov 2023 19:00:29 +0000 Shaking a martini glass back and forth creates an intricate vortex pattern in the cocktail that takes on a different shape depending on the physical properties of the drink 2401492-physicists-have-invented-a-new-way-to-shake-a-martini|2401492 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401950-bubble-collisions-underwater-may-create-tiny-droplets-in-sea-spray/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 09 Nov 2023 08:00:30 +0000 We have long struggled to explain why sea spray contains so many tiny water droplets – now, experiments suggest the droplets may be created underwater when bubbles collide and merge 2401950-bubble-collisions-underwater-may-create-tiny-droplets-in-sea-spray|2401950 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401794-superconductor-hopes-dashed-after-journal-retracts-red-matter-study/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 08 Nov 2023 13:19:22 +0000 Nature has retracted the scientific paper that claimed earlier this year that the wonder material known as “red matter” was the world’s first room-temperature superconductor 2401794-superconductor-hopes-dashed-after-journal-retracts-red-matter-study|2401794 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2401198-quantum-batteries-could-charge-better-by-breaking-rules-of-causality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 03 Nov 2023 21:13:05 +0000 Taking advantage of a quantum phenomenon called indefinite causal order could make quantum batteries charge more efficiently 2401198-quantum-batteries-could-charge-better-by-breaking-rules-of-causality|2401198 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400075-worlds-most-sensitive-force-sensor-measures-in-quectonewtons/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 01 Nov 2023 09:00:59 +0000 The quantum behaviours of extremely cold rubidium atoms can be used to detect forces smaller than a tenth of what is needed to lift a single electron 2400075-worlds-most-sensitive-force-sensor-measures-in-quectonewtons|2400075 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034621-500-is-space-time-quantum-six-ways-to-unpick-the-fabric-of-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 25 Oct 2023 15:00:00 +0100 One of the biggest questions in physics asks whether space-time is classical or quantum in nature. From slow neutrinos to quantum foam, these experiments are hoping to finally answer it mg26034621-500-is-space-time-quantum-six-ways-to-unpick-the-fabric-of-the-universe|2399123 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399750-the-great-sphinx-of-giza-may-have-been-blown-into-shape-by-the-wind/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 27 Oct 2023 15:00:58 +0100 As rock is carved by the wind, it can take on a sphinx-like shape, meaning the Great Sphinx in Egypt may have been partly formed through natural processes 2399750-the-great-sphinx-of-giza-may-have-been-blown-into-shape-by-the-wind|2399750 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399060-quantum-flywheel-could-be-fashioned-from-super-sized-charged-atoms/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 27 Oct 2023 09:00:20 +0100 A flywheel helps smooth the output of mechanical energy from an engine, and now there is a blueprint for making a quantum version 2399060-quantum-flywheel-could-be-fashioned-from-super-sized-charged-atoms|2399060 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399292-the-physicist-trying-to-create-space-time-from-scratch/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 25 Oct 2023 17:00:00 +0100 Monika Schleier-Smith is testing the idea that space-time emerges, like a hologram, from quantum interactions by attempting to make it in the lab 2399292-the-physicist-trying-to-create-space-time-from-scratch|2399292 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397442-sperm-caught-breaking-newtons-third-law-of-motion/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 20 Oct 2023 15:00:31 +0100 Some biological cells swim freely in a way that apparently breaks one of Newton’s laws of motion – but only if they have strange elastic properties 2397442-sperm-caught-breaking-newtons-third-law-of-motion|2397442 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397616-strange-upward-lightning-shoots-out-x-rays-as-it-rises-to-the-clouds/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 18 Oct 2023 20:00:35 +0100 Tall buildings made from electrically conductive materials can send lightning bolts up into the heavens during a thunderstorm, and they generate X-rays at the same time 2397616-strange-upward-lightning-shoots-out-x-rays-as-it-rises-to-the-clouds|2397616 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2397254-could-nuclear-weapons-testing-resume-as-global-tensions-rise/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 17 Oct 2023 10:49:47 +0100 Only North Korea has detonated nuclear weapons during the 21st century, but recent indications suggest Russia, the US and China are preparing to resume tests 2397254-could-nuclear-weapons-testing-resume-as-global-tensions-rise|2397254 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2397246-hiroshi-sugimoto-im-borrowing-important-scientists-experiences/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 12 Oct 2023 13:00:35 +0100 Hiroshi Sugimoto's retrospective puts the influential photographer's scientific inspiration on show 2397246-hiroshi-sugimoto-im-borrowing-important-scientists-experiences|2397246 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2396239-future-of-fusion-how-the-uks-jet-reactor-paved-the-way-for-iter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 05 Oct 2023 19:00:48 +0100 We visited the UK's fusion tokamak, JET, to see how four decades of experimentation is paving the way for ITER, the next-generation reactor in France 2396239-future-of-fusion-how-the-uks-jet-reactor-paved-the-way-for-iter|2396239 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395567-nobel-prize-for-physics-goes-to-trio-who-sliced-up-time-with-light/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 03 Oct 2023 12:05:09 +0100 Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier figured out how to generate attosecond pulses of light, which last a billionth of a billionth of a second and can be used to make movies of electrons - a find that has won them the 2023 Nobel prize in physics 2395567-nobel-prize-for-physics-goes-to-trio-who-sliced-up-time-with-light|2395567 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395452-large-hadron-collider-turned-into-worlds-biggest-quantum-experiment/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 03 Oct 2023 10:00:36 +0100 Physicists have used the famous particle smasher to investigate the strange phenomena of quantum entanglement at far higher energies than ever before 2395452-large-hadron-collider-turned-into-worlds-biggest-quantum-experiment|2395452 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2395023-force-that-holds-atoms-together-measured-more-precisely-than-ever/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 02 Oct 2023 19:00:56 +0100 We know less about the strength of the strong force than of any of the other fundamental forces of nature, but researchers at CERN have now made the most precise measurement of it ever 2395023-force-that-holds-atoms-together-measured-more-precisely-than-ever|2395023 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393578-raisins-and-nuts-dance-in-fizzy-drinks-and-now-we-know-why/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 28 Sep 2023 15:00:56 +0100 Dropping raisins, nuts or other small objects in a fizzy liquid makes them dance up and down for hours because they keep gaining and losing bubbles 2393578-raisins-and-nuts-dance-in-fizzy-drinks-and-now-we-know-why|2393578 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2394556-inside-alpha-g-the-detector-measuring-gravitys-effect-on-antimatter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 27 Sep 2023 18:26:05 +0100 New research has shown that if you drop a piece of antimatter, it will fall down to the ground just like regular matter.  We visited CERN's antimatter factory to find out more 2394556-inside-alpha-g-the-detector-measuring-gravitys-effect-on-antimatter|2394556 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394304-antimatter-definitely-doesnt-fall-up-physicists-confirm/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 27 Sep 2023 17:00:43 +0100 In a blow for the hopes of antigravity machines, the first ever test of how antimatter responds to gravity confirms it falls down, not up 2394304-antimatter-definitely-doesnt-fall-up-physicists-confirm|2394304 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2394278-quantum-engine-could-power-devices-with-an-ultracold-atom-cloud/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 27 Sep 2023 17:00:02 +0100 A quantum engine that works by toggling the properties of an ultracold atom cloud could one day be used to charge quantum batteries 2394278-quantum-engine-could-power-devices-with-an-ultracold-atom-cloud|2394278 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393613-twisted-lasers-could-let-us-send-messages-with-gravitational-waves/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 25 Sep 2023 10:00:47 +0100 Ripples in space-time called gravitational waves are normally associated with massive objects like black holes, but we could make our own using lasers – and perhaps even use them to communicate 2393613-twisted-lasers-could-let-us-send-messages-with-gravitational-waves|2393613 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2393438-squeezing-loofah-sponges-creates-enough-electricity-to-power-leds/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 25 Sep 2023 21:00:06 +0100 Sponges derived from luffa plants could act as tiny power sources for small devices, say researchers - but they may not supply enough energy to be practical 2393438-squeezing-loofah-sponges-creates-enough-electricity-to-power-leds|2393438 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2392138-the-worlds-brightest-x-ray-machine-has-been-turned-on/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:00:37 +0100 The LCLS-II X-ray laser is unprecedentedly bright, and will make it possible to record exactly what atoms and molecules do during photosynthesis and other chemical reactions 2392138-the-worlds-brightest-x-ray-machine-has-been-turned-on|2392138 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391405-city-wide-quantum-communication-network-in-china-is-most-advanced-yet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 14 Sep 2023 11:00:45 +0100 A network that connects quantum devices and a central server that spans Hefei, China, can allow multiple secure quantum chats at once 2391405-city-wide-quantum-communication-network-in-china-is-most-advanced-yet|2391405 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2367423-the-quantum-world-a-concise-guide-to-the-particles-that-make-reality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 05 Apr 2023 17:30:00 +0100 Get to grips with the deepest layer of reality we know of with our inventory of the subatomic realm, from known particles like quarks and the Higgs boson to hypotheticals including the fifth force and strings in 11 dimensions 2367423-the-quantum-world-a-concise-guide-to-the-particles-that-make-reality|2367423 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634130-100-roger-penrose-consciousness-must-be-beyond-computable-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 14 Nov 2022 18:41:00 +0000 The mathematician shares his latest theories on quantum consciousness, the structure of the universe and how to communicate with civilisations from other cosmological aeons mg25634130-100-roger-penrose-consciousness-must-be-beyond-computable-physics|2346668 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934561-000-how-soap-operas-can-help-us-understand-special-relativity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 13 Sep 2023 19:00:00 +0100 Time scales in my favourite soap opera Emmerdale make no sense, but maybe this helps avid fans to normalise the concept of time dilation, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein mg25934561-000-how-soap-operas-can-help-us-understand-special-relativity|2391511 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934553-800-physicists-can-complete-our-amazing-imperfect-picture-of-reality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 06 Sep 2023 19:00:00 +0100 On its 50th anniversary, the standard model of particle physics remains an unfinished masterpiece. The quest to finally fill in the blanks should be treated not with frustration but joyful anticipation mg25934553-800-physicists-can-complete-our-amazing-imperfect-picture-of-reality|2390833 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390076-why-nature-is-the-ultimate-quantum-engineer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 08 Sep 2023 08:00:06 +0100 Historically, researchers believed that quantum properties disappear at the scale of biology, but there is increasing evidence that this isn't the full story, says physicist Clarice Aiello 2390076-why-nature-is-the-ultimate-quantum-engineer|2390076 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934553-700-six-ways-we-could-finally-find-new-physics-beyond-the-standard-model/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 06 Sep 2023 15:00:00 +0100 Leading physicists explain how they think we will discover the new particles or forces that would complete one of science's greatest unfinished masterpieces mg25934553-700-six-ways-we-could-finally-find-new-physics-beyond-the-standard-model|2390618 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934553-600-a-brief-history-of-the-standard-model-our-theory-of-almost-everything/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 06 Sep 2023 15:00:00 +0100 Our amazing picture of the particles and forces that make reality took decades of invention and experiment to piece together mg25934553-600-a-brief-history-of-the-standard-model-our-theory-of-almost-everything|2390617 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934553-500-an-alternative-way-to-picture-the-standard-model-of-particle-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 06 Sep 2023 15:00:00 +0100 The classic depiction of the fundamental constituents of matter fails to accurately represent their relationships and what is missing – here’s how to do better mg25934553-500-an-alternative-way-to-picture-the-standard-model-of-particle-physics|2390616 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2390342-pumps-that-beat-like-the-heart-could-increase-energy-efficiency/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 06 Sep 2023 17:00:58 +0100 Emulating the pulsating action of the human heart could increase the efficiency of everything from oil pipelines to central heating systems 2390342-pumps-that-beat-like-the-heart-could-increase-energy-efficiency|2390342 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389737-super-heavy-oxygen-hints-at-problem-with-the-laws-of-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 30 Aug 2023 17:00:37 +0100 An unprecedentedly heavy version of oxygen is significantly less stable than expected, which suggests a problem our understanding of the nuclear strong force 2389737-super-heavy-oxygen-hints-at-problem-with-the-laws-of-physics|2389737 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389464-physicists-create-bizarre-quantum-alice-rings-for-the-first-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 29 Aug 2023 11:00:59 +0100 Researchers manipulated thousands of extremely cold atoms to make a ring-like defect that can change the properties of quantum objects that pass through it 2389464-physicists-create-bizarre-quantum-alice-rings-for-the-first-time|2389464 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2389336-maxwells-demon-imagined-by-physicists-really-exists-inside-our-cells/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 28 Aug 2023 11:00:48 +0100 Proteins in the cell membranes of most organisms act like the hypothetical “demon” imagined by James Clerk Maxwell in 1867, which was thought to break the laws of physics 2389336-maxwells-demon-imagined-by-physicists-really-exists-inside-our-cells|2389336 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387337-why-isaac-newtons-laws-still-give-physicists-a-lot-to-think-about/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 16 Aug 2023 19:00:00 +0100 The apparent equivalence of gravitational mass to inertial mass is a remarkable and beautiful feature of the cosmos, with a deep implication, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 2387337-why-isaac-newtons-laws-still-give-physicists-a-lot-to-think-about|2387337 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387874-springy-ice-seen-for-the-first-time-may-explain-how-clouds-make-rain/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 16 Aug 2023 17:00:19 +0100 Clouds are made up of many tiny drops of liquid water suspended at temperatures below freezing, before they are penetrated by ice. Understanding this process better could help improve climate models 2387874-springy-ice-seen-for-the-first-time-may-explain-how-clouds-make-rain|2387874 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934511-300-from-time-crystals-to-wormholes-when-is-a-quantum-simulation-real/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 08 Aug 2023 17:00:00 +0100 Physicists are using quantum computers to conjure various exotic phenomena and are claiming that their creations are truly real. The work is forcing us to ask challenging questions about the nature of quantum reality mg25934511-300-from-time-crystals-to-wormholes-when-is-a-quantum-simulation-real|2386360 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386751-demon-particle-found-in-superconductor-could-explain-how-they-work/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 09 Aug 2023 17:00:23 +0100 A particle called Pines's demon has been seen inside a superconductor, decades after it was first predicted 2386751-demon-particle-found-in-superconductor-could-explain-how-they-work|2386751 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2387085-muons-are-still-behaving-oddly-which-could-break-particle-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 10 Aug 2023 21:55:33 +0100 An experiment at Fermilab in the US suggests that muons rotate faster than expected, which would be a problem for the standard model of particle physics 2387085-muons-are-still-behaving-oddly-which-could-break-particle-physics|2387085 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386866-lk-99-mounting-evidence-suggests-material-is-not-a-superconductor/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 09 Aug 2023 22:32:25 +0100 Following a flurry of replication attempts, the claim that LK-99 perfectly conducts electricity at room temperature and pressure is looking unlikely to hold up 2386866-lk-99-mounting-evidence-suggests-material-is-not-a-superconductor|2386866 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2386264-why-its-so-hard-to-tell-if-lk-99-is-a-room-temperature-superconductor/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 04 Aug 2023 22:18:53 +0100 Researchers have been trying to determine if a material called LK-99 really is a superconductor at room temperature and pressure. Here's what is making it so difficult 2386264-why-its-so-hard-to-tell-if-lk-99-is-a-room-temperature-superconductor|2386264 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385743-scientists-race-to-test-claimed-room-temperature-superconductor/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 02 Aug 2023 16:36:43 +0100 Researchers are moving quickly to test if a material called LK-99 really is a superconductor at room temperature and pressure. Several labs have already announced results 2385743-scientists-race-to-test-claimed-room-temperature-superconductor|2385743 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385531-gold-flakes-glow-when-they-are-bathed-in-light-and-now-we-know-how/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 02 Aug 2023 22:09:15 +0100 Shooting powerful lasers at thin gold flakes has revealed how the precious metal generates its own faint glow – and might help us better control chemical reactions used in energy storage 2385531-gold-flakes-glow-when-they-are-bathed-in-light-and-now-we-know-how|2385531 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385270-room-temperature-superconductors-heres-everything-you-need-to-know/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 28 Jul 2023 21:01:22 +0100 Truly convenient materials that can conduct electricity perfectly have long been sought after by researchers, but their history is one of difficult experiments, theoretical puzzles and scientific controversy 2385270-room-temperature-superconductors-heres-everything-you-need-to-know|2385270 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2385153-swimming-behind-someone-cuts-drag-by-up-to-40-per-cent/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 31 Jul 2023 08:00:09 +0100 Swimmers in open water races can reduce the amount of drag forces they experience by swimming behind or at the hip level of another swimmer 2385153-swimming-behind-someone-cuts-drag-by-up-to-40-per-cent|2385153 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2384843-supersonic-cracks-seem-to-be-breaking-the-laws-of-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 27 Jul 2023 20:00:02 +0100 An experiment with elastic gels broke the theoretical speed limit for how fast cracks can move through materials, raising new questions about the physics of fractures 2384843-supersonic-cracks-seem-to-be-breaking-the-laws-of-physics|2384843 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834460-800-rethinking-reality-is-the-entire-universe-a-single-quantum-object/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 05 Jul 2023 14:00:00 +0100 In the face of new evidence, physicists are starting to view the cosmos not as made up of disparate layers, but as a quantum whole linked by entanglement mg25834460-800-rethinking-reality-is-the-entire-universe-a-single-quantum-object|2380801 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2383098-newtons-first-law-appears-to-break-down-in-the-quantum-realm/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 21 Jul 2023 08:00:47 +0100 Newton’s first law of motion says that particles move in straight lines unless influenced by a force but a new experiment shows that the quantum version of that assumption fails for quantum particles of light 2383098-newtons-first-law-appears-to-break-down-in-the-quantum-realm|2383098 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2382995-exotic-pentaquark-particle-found-at-cerns-large-hadron-collider/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 19 Jul 2023 08:00:14 +0100 A new type of particle called the strange pentaquark has been found using the Large Hadron Collider. The particle could help researchers catalogue the states of exotic matter and figure out how fundamental particles stick together 2382995-exotic-pentaquark-particle-found-at-cerns-large-hadron-collider|2382995 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934480-100-five-of-the-biggest-unanswered-questions-about-the-proton/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 17 Jul 2023 17:55:00 +0100 There is a lot we don’t know about protons, the particles at the heart of the atom, from what they are made of to whether they live forever. Solving the mysteries surrounding them could transform our understanding of the universe. mg25934480-100-five-of-the-biggest-unanswered-questions-about-the-proton|2382615 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2382510-biggest-yet-quasicrystal-made-by-shaking-metal-beads-for-a-week/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Sat, 15 Jul 2023 08:00:27 +0100 A researcher won a bet by performing an experiment a colleague said wouldn't work. The result was the largest quasicrystal ever made 2382510-biggest-yet-quasicrystal-made-by-shaking-metal-beads-for-a-week|2382510 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2382549-bizarre-portal-like-ring-wormholes-could-let-you-time-travel/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 14 Jul 2023 22:09:26 +0100 A ring wormhole is one that you could simply step through, like a portal through space – but new, more detailed models have shown that they could be a portal through time as well 2382549-bizarre-portal-like-ring-wormholes-could-let-you-time-travel|2382549 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2381832-quantum-randomness-of-empty-space-can-be-controlled-with-a-laser/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 13 Jul 2023 20:00:24 +0100 The minuscule fluctuations of seemingly empty space can be controlled just enough to make the building blocks of a new type of computer 2381832-quantum-randomness-of-empty-space-can-be-controlled-with-a-laser|2381832 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2391657-roger-penrose-consciousness-must-be-beyond-computable-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 14 Nov 2022 18:41:00 +0000 The mathematician shares his latest theories on quantum consciousness, the structure of the universe and how to communicate with civilisations from other cosmological aeons 2391657-roger-penrose-consciousness-must-be-beyond-computable-physics|2391657 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2381652-gravitational-waves-spark-hunt-for-cosmic-strings-and-dark-matter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:03:30 +0100 The discovery of low-level ripples throughout the universe called the gravitational wave background has set physicists looking for exotic explanations 2381652-gravitational-waves-spark-hunt-for-cosmic-strings-and-dark-matter|2381652 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2380471-quantum-lidar-could-help-driverless-vehicles-spot-bright-objects/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 05 Jul 2023 21:31:43 +0100 Driverless cars can use lasers to sense objects, but reflected light from nearby vehicles or bright sunlight can interfere. A system using entangled photons could help the vehicles avoid obstacles 2380471-quantum-lidar-could-help-driverless-vehicles-spot-bright-objects|2380471 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2380451-gravitational-waves-produce-a-background-hum-across-the-whole-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 29 Jun 2023 02:00:35 +0100 After decades of searching, astronomers have found a distinctive pattern of light, from spinning stars called pulsars, that suggests huge gravitational waves are creating gentle ripples in space-time across the universe 2380451-gravitational-waves-produce-a-background-hum-across-the-whole-universe|2380451 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834440-100-the-massive-problem-of-trying-to-fully-explain-what-mass-actually-is/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 21 Jun 2023 19:00:00 +0100 I can take it as a given that people have an intuition for the meaning of mass, but traditional explanations can feel unsatisfactory. Even the standard model doesn't give us all the answers, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein mg25834440-100-the-massive-problem-of-trying-to-fully-explain-what-mass-actually-is|2378825 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2377878-scandium-superconducts-at-the-highest-temperature-for-a-pure-element/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 19 Jun 2023 10:00:10 +0100 Two independent teams of researchers found that putting the silvery metal scandium under extreme pressure makes it into a superconductor at a temperature higher than any other element on its own 2377878-scandium-superconducts-at-the-highest-temperature-for-a-pure-element|2377878 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24632800-900-is-the-universe-conscious-it-seems-impossible-until-you-do-the-maths/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 29 Apr 2020 07:00:00 +0100 The question of how the brain gives rise to subjective experience is the hardest of all. Mathematicians think they can help, but their first attempts have thrown up some eye-popping conclusions mg24632800-900-is-the-universe-conscious-it-seems-impossible-until-you-do-the-maths|2241831 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25734301-000-the-physicist-betting-that-space-time-isnt-quantum-after-all/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 13 Mar 2023 17:00:00 +0000 Most experts think we have to tweak general relativity to fit with quantum theory. Physicist Jonathan Oppenheim isn't so sure, which is why he’s made a 5000:1 bet that gravity isn’t a quantum force mg25734301-000-the-physicist-betting-that-space-time-isnt-quantum-after-all|2363984 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25333720-800-do-we-create-space-time-a-new-perspective-on-the-fabric-of-reality/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 02 Feb 2022 17:55:00 +0000 For the first time, it is possible to see the quantum world from multiple points of view at once. This hints at something very strange – that reality only takes shape when we interact with each other mg25333720-800-do-we-create-space-time-a-new-perspective-on-the-fabric-of-reality|2306674 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2377034-extremely-cold-drop-of-helium-can-be-levitated-forever/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 09 Jun 2023 08:00:47 +0100 A drop of very cold liquid helium can be made to float for an indefinitely long time using strong magnets and quantum effects 2377034-extremely-cold-drop-of-helium-can-be-levitated-forever|2377034 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2377554-sound-based-quantum-computers-could-be-built-using-chip-sized-device/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Thu, 08 Jun 2023 20:00:26 +0100 A chip-sized device can manipulate particles of sound in a way that mimics how particles of light are used in light-based quantum computers, opening the door for building sound-based quantum computers 2377554-sound-based-quantum-computers-could-be-built-using-chip-sized-device|2377554 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25734310-200-stephen-hawkings-final-theorem-turns-time-and-causality-inside-out/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:30:00 +0000 In his final years, Stephen Hawking tackled the question of why the universe appears fine-tuned for life. His collaborator Thomas Hertog explains the radical solution they came up with mg25734310-200-stephen-hawkings-final-theorem-turns-time-and-causality-inside-out|2364934 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2375705-quantum-sensors-could-detect-space-debris-from-its-gravitational-pull/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 30 May 2023 18:00:06 +0100 Devices based on quantum properties of very cold and very small crystals could be mounted on satellites and sense space debris that could collide with them 2375705-quantum-sensors-could-detect-space-debris-from-its-gravitational-pull|2375705 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834400-100-can-recreating-black-holes-in-the-lab-solve-the-puzzles-of-space-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 24 May 2023 17:00:00 +0100 Researchers are building models of everything from black holes to the big bang in tanks of liquid. Now some claim these surprisingly simple models are showing us where our theories of space-time are wrong mg25834400-100-can-recreating-black-holes-in-the-lab-solve-the-puzzles-of-space-time|2374719 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2375575-sunlight-could-cool-an-atom-to-its-coldest-possible-temperature/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 26 May 2023 09:00:57 +0100 Sunlight transmitted through an optical fibre could be used to help cool a single charged atom to a temperature only a few millionths of a degree above absolute zero 2375575-sunlight-could-cool-an-atom-to-its-coldest-possible-temperature|2375575 https://www.newscientist.com/article/0-the-cosmologist-who-claims-to-have-evidence-for-the-multiverse/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:21:00 +0000 Cosmologist Laura Mersini-Houghton says our universe is one of many – and she argues that we have already seen signs of those other universes in the cosmic microwave background, the light left over from the big bang 0-the-cosmologist-who-claims-to-have-evidence-for-the-multiverse|2344810 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2375291-nuclear-clocks-could-be-the-best-timepiece-in-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 24 May 2023 17:00:11 +0100 Atomic clocks work by using a laser to bounce the electrons in an atom at a given frequency, while nuclear clocks would theoretically do the same for atomic nuclei, and we are a step closer to building one 2375291-nuclear-clocks-could-be-the-best-timepiece-in-the-universe|2375291 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2374801-fundamental-law-of-physics-demonstrated-using-quantum-objects/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 23 May 2023 12:11:58 +0100 The principle of least action has been a key law of physics since the 18th century, but has only now been directly observed in the quantum realm thanks to an experiment with single particles of light 2374801-fundamental-law-of-physics-demonstrated-using-quantum-objects|2374801 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2373089-ai-can-work-out-how-quantum-computers-stack-up-to-one-another/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 12 May 2023 18:48:10 +0100 Comparing the properties of qubits in different quantum computers is challenging, but AI can tell them apart even when the state of the qubits is 98 per cent similar 2373089-ai-can-work-out-how-quantum-computers-stack-up-to-one-another|2373089 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834383-000-why-virtual-particles-dont-exist-but-do-explain-reality-for-now/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 May 2023 14:00:00 +0100 So-called virtual particles aren't particles at all. Some argue that they are merely mathematical figments, and that we need to find a better way to understand particle interactions mg25834383-000-why-virtual-particles-dont-exist-but-do-explain-reality-for-now|2372494 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834382-600-why-symmetry-is-so-fundamental-to-our-understanding-of-the-universe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 May 2023 14:00:00 +0100 The symmetries of matter are deeper and stranger than they first appear, and they have driven many of the biggest breakthroughs in particle physics. But have we exhausted their usefulness? mg25834382-600-why-symmetry-is-so-fundamental-to-our-understanding-of-the-universe|2372490 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834382-800-to-create-a-wormhole-that-doesnt-collapse-you-need-exotic-matter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 May 2023 14:00:00 +0100 Making a wormhole that a human could theoretically travel through would require an upside-down universe and negative energy mg25834382-800-to-create-a-wormhole-that-doesnt-collapse-you-need-exotic-matter|2372492 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834382-300-emergence-the-mysterious-concept-that-holds-the-key-to-consciousness/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 May 2023 14:00:00 +0100 A better understanding of emergent phenomena like the wetness of water, where the properties of a system can't be explained by those of its constituent parts, could unravel some big mysteries mg25834382-300-emergence-the-mysterious-concept-that-holds-the-key-to-consciousness|2372487 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2372828-superconducting-qubits-have-passed-a-key-quantum-test/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 May 2023 17:00:49 +0100 A Bell test can confirm whether two systems are truly entangled – it has now been used to confirm entanglement between qubits in a superconducting circuits 2372828-superconducting-qubits-have-passed-a-key-quantum-test|2372828 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834382-100-how-we-could-discover-quantum-gravity-without-rebuilding-space-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 10 May 2023 14:00:00 +0100 In the search for a theory that unites general relativity and quantum physics, many have tried to rethink space-time. But what if space-time emerges naturally, like a hologram? mg25834382-100-how-we-could-discover-quantum-gravity-without-rebuilding-space-time|2372485 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2372428-unevenly-packed-coffee-to-blame-for-weak-espresso-say-mathematicians/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 09 May 2023 17:00:43 +0100 A mathematical model shows that even small inconsistencies in how coffee is packed into an espresso machine can lead to weaker brews and watery flavour 2372428-unevenly-packed-coffee-to-blame-for-weak-espresso-say-mathematicians|2372428 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2372659-weird-particle-that-remembers-its-past-discovered-by-quantum-computer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Tue, 09 May 2023 15:00:21 +0100 Particles with unusual properties called anyons have long been sought after as a potential building block for advanced quantum computers, and now researchers have found one – using a quantum computer 2372659-weird-particle-that-remembers-its-past-discovered-by-quantum-computer|2372659 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834372-200-do-we-live-in-a-hologram-why-physics-is-still-mesmerised-by-this-idea/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 03 May 2023 14:00:00 +0100 The holographic universe theory still grips physicists 25 years since it was first published. Here’s what it is all about mg25834372-200-do-we-live-in-a-hologram-why-physics-is-still-mesmerised-by-this-idea|2371469 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2371382-why-darkness-between-stars-reveals-more-about-the-universe-than-light/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 05 May 2023 08:00:09 +0100 When looking up at the night sky, light from stars draws attention. But the darkness between the light can reveal even more about the universe, says Nobel prize-winning astrophysicist Adam Riess 2371382-why-darkness-between-stars-reveals-more-about-the-universe-than-light|2371382 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2370695-quantum-computers-could-simulate-a-black-hole-in-the-next-decade/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Sat, 29 Apr 2023 13:00:52 +0100 Understanding the interactions between quantum physics and gravity within a black hole is one of the thorniest problems in physics, but quantum computers could soon offer an answer 2370695-quantum-computers-could-simulate-a-black-hole-in-the-next-decade|2370695 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2370625-exotic-cosmic-objects-in-string-theory-may-look-like-leaky-black-holes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 28 Apr 2023 14:00:22 +0100 Physicists have simulated strange objects from string theory to determine what they look like – if they exist, they could be mistaken for a black hole when imaged from very far away 2370625-exotic-cosmic-objects-in-string-theory-may-look-like-leaky-black-holes|2370625 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2371225-we-finally-know-why-bubbles-rise-in-a-straight-line-in-champagne/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Fri, 28 Apr 2023 12:00:46 +0100 In carbonated drinks, the wake from rising bubbles can disturb other bubbles. But when the molecules that give fizzy drinks their flavour coat the bubbles, they can form stable columns as they float 2371225-we-finally-know-why-bubbles-rise-in-a-straight-line-in-champagne|2371225 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25834360-700-how-can-we-prove-the-world-is-really-quantum-mechanical/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=physics Wed, 26 Apr 2023 19:00:00 +0100 A 2021 paper has got physicists discussing whether our inability to use classical physics to describe reality on a quantum scale is a human failing - and what proof is necessary to show that the world really is quantum mechanical, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein mg25834360-700-how-can-we-prove-the-world-is-really-quantum-mechanical|2370439